The Hunting Party
by Elarix
Summary: Eleven years after the defeat of Venom, Corneria has become the new empire claiming sovereignty over the Lylat. After refusing unethical orders from Pepper, Fox McCloud was disposed of, and Krystal took the remains of Star Fox down the path of outlaws and bounty hunters. Will an unlikely addition to the team uncover the heroes they once were? I can only promise guns. (Complete)
1. The Summoning Part 1: Hostage

**Chapter 1: The Summoning**

**Part 1: Hostage**

* * *

** A/N: ****A lot of people will notice right off the bat that the characters are a bit OOC, especially Krystal. If so, good: you're smart. However, there are reasons why the characters' personalities are different, reasons that I won't explain... yet. Finding out why the characters have changed so much will be part of the driving force to keep reading, and I can promise, it will be satisfactorily answered. Some of you might even get it right away if you're smart enough. Just had to get that out before everyone started complaining.**

** Finally, rated M for graphic violence, frequent language, and sexual themes. Strong language no longer censored. Yes, it was before the rating was upped :)**

* * *

_We are not satisfied  
__We are hungry_

_Hungry for the visceral  
Cathartic  
Inspired  
Defiant_

_We are not heroes  
Or anti-heroes_

_We carry only the flag  
That is our own_

_Now is not the time  
To look back to see  
If anyone is following  
_

_Now is the time  
To charge forward  
Into the unknown_

_-THE HUNTING PARTY-_

* * *

She always loved this part.

With the ringing of metal and the flapping of leather, the cerulean vixen clasped a gun belt around her waist and cinched it tight. Her amphibian partner tossed two silver guns across the hangar towards her, which she effortlessly caught. For show, she spun the pistols around her fingers until they whirred and reflected the blinding blue light of the outside world off their barrels. Finally, she stopped their spinning and slapped them down into their holsters. Another sensation she enjoyed; the feeling of a gun slapping into its holster, like a knife or a sword sliding into its sheath. But even greater was the feeling of _drawing_ her weapons.

As she pulled a pair of black, fingerless gloves over her paws, her other counter-part, a tall avian, slid an energy cartridge into his prized laser gun. The hangar room they occupied was mostly shrouded in shadows except for the glow of the sky seeping in through the opened gates, causing sharp accents of light to shine off of a myriad of crates filled to the brim with guns, knives, ammunition, and other assortments of weapons. But most striking of all was the reflection in the eyes of her teammate in the relative dark. Noticing her gaze, her partner asked, "What?"

"Nothing," she replied in voice too mature for her age, "I just like that look in your eyes."

The falcon studied her for a moment. "I don't like that look in yours, either."

"What, because I'm having too much fun?" She smiled slyly. "You should learn to enjoy your line of work, I always say."

"Does an undertaker enjoy collecting dead bodies?"

"Hell yeah he does, Feather-pubes," the vixen said with mock affection.

"Hey, this is the last time I check," the amphibian interrupted, "You all know the plan?"

The avian grunted and slid a parachute over his shoulders. "Krystal will create a diversion while I go after the professor. Simple as that."

"Just how big is this "diversion" you want? Can I blow shit up?" the Cerinian answered with a lustful voice.

"Sure. Whatever you need to do to get everyone's attention. Oh, and... try not to kill anyone you don't have to."

"Aw, why not?" She pouted, sticking out her lower lip. "Are you afraid of a few civilian casualties?"

"Because A: you don't have to, and B: it's not nice."

"But that's not fair! Why does Falco get to kill the professor?"

"Because you can't pull off stealth missions. You weren't made for it."

"Shows what you know," she huffed as she pulled on her own parachute and stepped over to the open hangar doors. The whistling wind caught her fur, giving it the appearance of flickering blue fire.

"And one more question," the frog spoke up.

"Shoot."

"It would be a lot safer and easier to infiltrate the campus from the ground. Why the parachuting thing?"

"Because... why not?" With that, she took a running start and leapt out of the hangar into the open air.

* * *

Phoenix's eyes flew open right before he hit the ground.

The golden-furred vulpine desperately thrashed about for a moment before his hands settled back down on his chair's armrests. Once he remembered where he was, his pulse subsided and he was able to calm down. Looking to his right, he spotted a sand cat classmate shaking with silent laughter at his little joke; he had knocked Phoenix's elbow out from under his head and jolted him out of his sleep.

Glaring at his friend, Phoenix bent down to pick up his notepad and pen, which had slipped off of his lap and onto the floor from his sudden start. Once he was all settled again, the faint, droning voice of his economics professor tickled his ears. He and the rest of the class were seated in a large auditorium, looking down onto the center stage. Through drooping eyes, he squinted at the holographic board upon which the billy goat had drawn a complicated bow-tie graph, but was unable to make any sense of it. There were too many new additions since he had fallen asleep.

_Well, that__'s__ it for this lecture, _he thought. Phoenix's problem with any speaker was that he either knew nothing about the subject, he completely disagreed with everything the speaker said, he had slept through half of the lecture by the time he started paying attention to it, or the topic was economics, which usually covered all three.

Figuring he had awoken too late, he fell into his favorite pastime while ignoring lectures; making up stories and situations in his head. Normally he would imagine what he would do if, say, a zombie apocalypse struck in the middle of English, or if a fire broke out during a chemistry lab, or if a serial killer happened to assault their campus.

_Yessir, _Phoenix thought to himself. _Anything would be better than this. Why, I wouldn't mind it if a murderer kicked through that door right now and – _

Phoenix's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe it.

Without warning, the auditorium door burst inwards off its hinges, and in jumped a female vulpine grinning from ear to ear. She was dressed in a sleeveless leather jacket opened to expose a white tank top and bare midriff. Her fur was perhaps the most striking feature; it was completely blue, unlike any fox Phoenix had seen before. But his eyes were soon drawn elsewhere. Clasped around the vixen's waist was a brown gun belt with two holsters, but they were both empty; the gleaming silver weapons were already in her outstretched hands.

The entire student body of the auditorium began to panic; students rose to their feet, girls cried out, and the professor stumbled backwards off the stage in fear. The chaos would have continued, but the blue vixen raised one of her pistols above her head and let loose a bullet to get everyone's attention.

"Quiet down, pansies!" She ordered, then fired off another shot. "Everyone just sit down, or I start shooting!" She glared with piercing aquamarine eyes around the room until they alighted upon a security camera mounted on the stage wall. After giving it the finger, she spun her guns around in both hands and loaded it full of bullets, which Phoenix labeled as a bit excessive.

By that time, everyone was covering their heads and cowering behind the row of seats in front of them, including Phoenix.

"I've got nothing against you all, personally, but you won't mind it if I shoot the place up a bit, will you? And, if a stray bullet should happen to hit one of you small fries... well... it can't be helped. _Adios_."

Screams broke out once again as the psycho began firing carelessly into the crowd, sending pieces of wood and scraps of paper flying everywhere. A student even cried out when her arm was grazed by a stray bullet.

In the midst of the gunshots and screaming, all Phoenix could do was crouch behind the seat in front of him and clench his eyes shut as his mind raced with thoughts. _Isn't this what you've always __wanted__? __What happened to all of the heroic things you were planning __to do__? You can't just cower down here and play dead like a 'possum! Do something!_

_ Well, _he finally told himself, _a__t least I won't have to worry about today's economic__s' __assignment__. _Shakily, he stood up above the other students, then, with more and more confidence, he stepped towards the center aisle and down towards the stage.

His actions did not go unnoticed. The gunman soon laid eyes on him and barked, "Hey! The hell do you think you're doing, lion-heart?" She aimed her gun directly at his head, and Phoenix found himself staring up the barrel of a silver semi-automatic pistol at the killer's narrow eyes. The woman faltered for a moment, however, when she saw him. She stuttered for a moment. "Well, what are you looking at?"

Phoenix swallowed.

"Trying to be the hero, huh? Got some chicks in the class you wanna impress?"

She fired a bullet so close to his head that he felt the wind rush by him in its wake. Truthfully, he had never been so frightened in all of his life; his legs were nearly shaking, his forehead was beaded with cold sweat, and his heart beat like a kick drum, but he couldn't back down now. Not in front of his friends. Not in front of his classmates.

Not in front of those challenging aqua eyes.

The vixen continued to stare down at him for another minute, until she drew her gun up to her mouth and blew away the trail of smoke rising from its barrel, obviously for show. "Well well well, guess you're not so easy to scare after all."

"I... I'm crapping my pants right now."

"At least you're amusing. You got something to say, runt? Spit it out, or next time... I won't miss."

Phoenix gulped again. He had planned this out. He knew what to do.

He began with a faltering voice. "L-look, I don't know what your deal is, if you just enjoy shooting people, or if you came here to make some sort of statement... but you need a way out."

The fox slapped one of her guns back into its holster, unclipped an explosive pack from her belt, and tossed it into the air with her free hand. "Check."

"You need more than an exit. You need insurance, something to keep the bullets away from you."

"Get to the point already," she growled impatiently through clenched teeth.

"You need a hostage. I-I'll be that hostage. Just don't shoot... don't shoot anymore people."

The vixen studied him for another moment, then chuckled. "You've sure got guts. I just might take you up on that off – "

She was interrupted when an armed police force burst through the doorway she herself had entered through, as well as an exit on the opposite side of the stage, effectively surrounding her. "Damn," she cursed as she glanced at her wrist comm.

"FREEZE!" one of the officers ordered, "We have you surrounded!"

"Yeah, no." The blue-furred fox dove into a crouching position behind the podium, drew her other gun, crossed her arms, and fired twice into the opposite groups of police. When they began to return fire, she grabbed onto the podium and nimbly flipped herself over it in a spectacular feat of acrobatics, landing herself at Phoenix's side.

"This better work, lion-heart," she whispered into his ear as she placed a gun to his head. "Drop your weapons... or this poor bastard gets something in that head of his for a change!"

The captain cursed and lowered his gun, gesturing for his force to do the same, at least for the moment. Taking the opportunity to act, she walked with Phoenix still at gunpoint back onto the stage and towards the back wall. She detached one of her explosives and let it slide down her leg until it came to rest at the base of the wall. Stepping away a safe distance and crouching behind the podium with Phoenix, she pressed a button on her watch.

Mere seconds later, the pack detonated and filled the auditorium with a deafening blast and a blinding light. Rushing out from behind the podium and jumping through the gaping hole left behind, she exclaimed, "Later, bitches!"

The police made to pursue, but a grenade flew through the wall and landed at their feet, releasing a thick cloud of smoke into the air. The campus security force fell to their knees, hacking and coughing uncontrollably as their target escaped.

* * *

Elsewhere on the campus, a feline professor was far from concerned about the shootings. He knew what was really going on.

Running to his office as fast as he could, the leopard slid to a stop on the overly waxed floors and reached for the door handle.

It was unlocked.

Reaching into his lab-coat pocket, he slid out a small, plastic hand pistol able to pass through metal-detectors unnoticed. He cocked the gun, quietly turned the door handle, then flung the door open with a swift gesture. He stepped into his office, planted his legs, and stared down the sights of his gun.

It was shaking.

As he expected, the room was occupied. The trespasser, a blue falcon, was leaning over the professor's desk, back turned.

"H-hands where I can see them!" The leopard demanded in a less-than-confident voice. "No s-s-sudden movements!"

The avian complied, slowly standing up and raising his wings into the air.

"All the shooting in the auditorium was just the diversion, wasn't it? You're really after the data on my laptop."

"Yes... and no," the avian replied in a cocky voice. "The shooting was a diversion to keep security busy. That way, they couldn't come to your aid in case you were able to alert them. However, those files are only half of what we came to collect, and I just finished downloading them."

The professor's gun faltered. "And the other half?"

The falcon produced a fake, halting laugh. "Ah ha ha haaa... _you_."

The leopard concluded the conversation had gone on long enough. Making up his mind, he aimed at the trespasser and pulled the trigger. But he had misjudged the situation; his enemy was the one on top. The avian quickly lowered one of his wings, revealing a small metal device he had hidden even with his hands up. Whirling around to face the professor, he activated the tool to produce a large, blue, hexagonal shield that rapidly expanded and reflected the bullet effortlessly.

In a fit of panic, the leopard fired three more shots, each of which were reflected by the avian's shield. Gasping, he stumbled backwards out the door and turned to run down the hall. The falcon drew a laser pistol from his belt and flew out the door in pursuit.

"The fastest creature on land meets the fastest creature in the air. Let's prove which is superior, shall we?"

* * *

Phoenix slipped on the floor and fell to his knees, panting from exertion. The vixen didn't give him any time to relax, however, as she dealt him a swift quick to the behind and pulled him along by the back of his collar.

"If you're gonna be my hostage, you better keep up."

"Yeah... wooh... sorry... I've always avoided... gym class... whenever I can."

As they raced down the evacuated hallway, the gunman let go of his shirt and simply trusted him to follow.

"You got a name, lion-heart?"

"Uh, yeah. Phoenix. And yours?"

She gave him a sideways glance, as if she were sizing him up to see if he was worthy.

"Krystal."

Phoenix smirked. "So... it's safe to assume we're already on a first name basis?"

"I don't have a last name. It's all I have."

"Doesn't fit."

Placing her gun to the back of his head, Krystal snarled, "You wanna see if you come back to life after I kill you, huh, is that it?"

Phoenix screamed, "No, no please! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Then shut the hell up. At least remember who the hostage in this situation is."

At that moment, they rounded a corner and came face to face with a security officer. Krystal swore and pushed Phoenix to the side; it was too late to use him as a shield now. The guard instinctively fired, but Krystal was ready for him. She threw herself down to the floor to escape the laser fire, swept her legs around to knock the guard off his feet, forced him onto the ground, and pressed her gun against his chest.

Sensing what Krystal was about to do, Phoenix desperately intervened. "Wait, stop! You don't have to – "

But it was too late. Krystal pulled the trigger and placed a bullet into his torso at point-blank range, sending a splash of crimson blood into the air. Phoenix fell to his knees beside the body, staring helplessly as the officer coughed and spluttered. "Why... why did you..."

Krystal turned and shot Phoenix a glare with her aquamarine eyes, dancing with fire. "Remember your place. I was just saying, you're the hostage, I'm the killer. Get used to seeing people die, you may have to see a lot more before I'm done with you. If you don't want to join him on the floor with your heart pouring out your chest, you better do as I say."

At first, Phoenix was horrified at the sight of the bleeding guard, but once he looked at Krystal's wrathful face, he knew what true fear really was. All he could do was stare at her, mouth flapping silently like a fish's.

"What's a matter, lion-heart?" Krystal cooed, slowly raising the gun to his head, "Having second thoughts about standing up for everyone and getting some action? We were actually having fun for a moment there."

Phoenix's eyes never once strayed from her face to the gun. "No, I'll... keep going. Just... give me some time – "

"Right, well, I don't have time." Standing, she nudged him with her combat boot. "Now get up. Get up!"

Gut churning and pulse racing, Phoenix rose to his feet with shaking legs. Without looking back, Krystal resumed running down the hallway again, while Phoenix followed.

Raising a wrist comm to her face, she shouted, "Hey, Falco, how's it comin' with the professor?"

_"__Wait just a second..."_

The ensuing pause was followed by the sound of two laser bursts and the terrific scream of a dying mammal.

_"Yeah, all done on my end. __And yours?"_

"Got myself a hostage. Say hi to Falco, Phoenix."

Phoenix spoke with a trembling voice. "Uh... hi?"

_"__Hey, nice meeting you. Too bad you probably won't be alive much longer."_

"Oh, God," Phoenix gasped.

_"And sorry... just in case, you know, you happened to know the professor I just killed. I think he t__aught__ chemistry. O__ops__, hold on. __Geez, let go of my leg...__" _his voice lowered to an annoyed mumble as the laser pistol went off once more in the background. _"Ahem, uh, __sorry... __again__."_

"Falco, where did Slip send the ships?"

_"__Some open field to the east of the main grounds. I think it borders a lake as well. You'll have to find a car, it's too far to run."_

"I'll find my way somehow. Thanks."

As Krystal switched off her radio, Phoenix spoke up. "Did he mean the Heath?"

"Of course, you _would_ know the place." She gestured with her gun. "Come on, take me there."

"Alright, alright, c-careful where you point that!"

* * *

Phoenix lead the rest of the way through the building interior, much to Krystal's annoyance, who had to slow her pace to stay behind him.

Phoenix pointed down the hallway, nearly out of breath. "Door's right there... my car's at home, since I live on campus. I don't have any idea how you plan on getting a ride."

Just when it looked like they were going to escape without anymore run-ins, a group of security officers stepped out of a room between them and the door, guns readied and aimed at Krystal.

"Damn," Krystal muttered as she once again locked Phoenix's arms behind him and placed a gun to his head. She should have kept him in that position the whole time. "Don't shoot, or I'll kill him!"

This time, they were not so easily dissuaded. Two of the guards in front fired, missing the pair by inches.

Pulling back with Phoenix still in tow, Krystal whispered into his ear, "Sorry, kid. Guess this is the end for you."

Phoenix began to panic, and his mind raced to figure a way out of being killed. "Wait, look, please! There's another way! Shoot me in the leg!"

At first Krystal was taken aback. "What, really?"

"Let them know you mean business! And, just a flesh wound, if you don't mind."

Krystal purred next to his ear. "Well, you're more daring than I thought, lion-heart." Then, placing her gun against his leg, she pulled the trigger.

"AAAAAHH!" Phoenix screamed, instinctively bending over and clutching his leg as blood flowed through his fingers. If he had to describe the pain, Phoenix would say it felt like having his leg completely blown off, sewed back on, and dipped in lava.

"Put your weapons down, or he gets it in the head next time!" Krystal said, dragging Phoenix forward. "I ain't screwin' around!"

The security force shot each other glances, then lowered their weapons. They got the message.

"Now back away from the door, turn around, and start walking down the hallway!"

The guards uneasily obeyed, sluggishly moving back down the hallway they had come from.

"Faster!" Krystal growled, firing a bullet over their heads.

They quickly complied, and broke into a complete sprint down the empty hallway. As they were leaving, Krystal draped Phoenix's arm across her shoulder and helped him towards the door.

"Ow... goddamnit! Why'd you have to shoot so close to the bone!"

"Hey, quit complaining!" Krystal leaned with Phoenix against the bar that opened to door, and pushed it open. "Be thankful I didn't blow your face off instead. Besides, it only feels like I hit the bone. I only grazed you... I think. It's not my fault you were wearing long pants!"

"Alright, fine, we have to bandage it right away! I don't think I should be losing this much blood... we have to stop!"

"Sorry, lion-heart; we ain't stopping!"

* * *

** A/N: One last thing you should know; I'm writing this story right after watching _Black Lagoon. _So, if you notice any similarities between the two, it's not a coincidence. _Black Lagoon _had a big part in inspiring this story. But I doubt most of you have seen the show, anyway :'(**


	2. The Summoning Part 2: Escape

**Chapter 2: The Summoning**

**Part 2: Escape to the Mothership**

* * *

"So... now that we're here, I just realized my car isn't parked out front; it's in the garage."

"How far is that?" Krystal asked, shifting her supporting hold on Phoenix.

"Uh, like the other side of the building?"

"Well I ain't freakin' carrying your pathetic body all that way!" The angered gunman slid his arm off her shoulder and let him fall to the ground, unceremoniously. As Phoenix yelped in pain, she placed her hands on her hips and surveyed the parking lot before them.

"You could just run and leave me here, you know."

"Yeah, like you wish you could get out of this so easily, lion-heart. No, you're my key to finding the 'Wasteland', or whatever you college nerds call it."

"The Heath," Phoenix corrected. Tearing a large piece off the hem of his shirt, he began wrapping it around his bleeding leg, grimacing in the process. "Well, there's no way we can walk there in my condition."

"Nah, it's no problem, I'll just steal a hover-car."

"You'll what?" Phoenix asked in surprise.

"It's easy," she laughed as she booted him in the back once again. "Come on, hobble over and I'll show you."

Krystal rushed to the nearest hover-car, a shining gold Ferris model, and tried the door. Finding it locked, she slid off her leather vest, pressed it against the glass, and slammed her elbow into it. The glass shattered, activating the alarm which blared at an annoying pitch. Shaking off her jacket, she slipped it back on, reached inside, and unlocked the doors. Phoenix stumbled over to the car as best as he could and slipped into the passenger seat.

"Now, watch and learn."

Krystal activated the hover-car's pass code screen, which displayed a standard nine-number keyboard. "Most cars have a four digit code. The trick is to find the keys pressed the most, then enter them in the right sequence."

"Somehow, this doesn't seem to be your thing."

"You mean the slow, calculated way?"

"Yeah."

"Well, if it doesn't work, I can always blow open the dashboard and hot wire it. Now, here you can see the numbers 1, 4, 7, and 9 all have fingerprints on them. So, all you have to do is guess the right combination."

"But you don't have infinite tries, right?"

Krystal shrugged, then entered the numbers in numerical order. The touch screen went red for a second and beeped in a disheartening fashion. Fortunately, she got it on her second try. "See; piece of cake."

Krystal activated the engines and g-diffusers, which caused the car to rise into the air and fold in the supports that kept it off the ground.

"Alright, lion-heart. Which way?"

"Before I tell you, you have to promise me one thing."

"You are in no position for bargaining."

Phoenix continued, unabated. "Promise me you're not going to run over anyone. I have a feeling it's something you'd do."

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Which way?"

"Take a left out of the parking lot."

"Or just go straight."

"Sure, if you want to go over the curb and grass."

Krystal stared at him, grinning wickedly.

"Fine. Why not?" Phoenix said with a sigh.

Pressing the pedal to the floor, the car jerked forwards and smoothly accelerated up to a speed much too fast for a parking lot, or even a highway. Red lights blinked on the dashboard that signaled they had driven over a curb, but Krystal paid them no heed.

"Now which way!" Krystal shouted once they were back onto pavement again.

"Follow the road right, but for god's sake, slow the heck down!" Phoenix was yelling only because he was trying to get his mind off the pain of his wounded leg.

Sirens began to blare, and one quick glance at the rear-view screen confirmed the presence of police craft.

"Dammit, well, looks like slowing down isn't an option!"

Phoenix glanced at Krystal, but her expression was not one of disappointment. Once again, the vixen floored the pedal, and the hover-car accelerated to a gut-wrenching speed. Phoenix struggled to give her directions as they passed turn after turn in record time, faster than even a late-running student could achieve.

Soon they were well into the center of the campus, the streets of which were filled with students, faculty, and staff forced to run for their lives. The plus side was that the crowded streets slowed the police down even more, who had the burden of keeping civilians safe.

Catching a pet and its owner out of the corner of his eye, Phoenix joked, "Poodle! Fifty points!"

"Where! Where!" Krystal shouted, looking around desperately.

"I can't believe I said that," Phoenix moaned as he hid his face in his hands.

"Aha! On it!"

Krystal, spotting the poodle at the last second, was forced to make a sharp turn to hit it.

"Die, motherfucker!"

At the last second, the poodle's master dropped her leash and sprinted for cover, and the poodle managed to dive out of the way, escaping the front bumper of the car by inches.

Initially, Phoenix sighed in relief, but Krystal crazily spun the wheel of the car and pulled a 180 turn in the middle of the street.

"What are you doing! You can't turn around! The police are catching up to you!"

"That little runt isn't escaping _this _time!"

Heading back down the street again, Krystal drove into the middle of the group of police cars in pursuit of them. What followed next was a confused whirlwind caused by Krystal attempting to run over the hapless poodle, and the police trying desperately to surround or ram her hover-car. Finally, Krystal shouted, "Heck, yeah!" as they finally felt the telltale jolt run through the car, confirming their kill. Phoenix resisted the urge to look back as Krystal sped the car back up and made a break for the main road again.

Phoenix slowly removed his hands from his face in realization. "Wait a minute... that didn't make any sense."

"What, why animals would have pets?"

"No; why someone would lead a miniature version of themselves around on a leach. It's like... like if a pig sold hotdogs, or... something."

"Well, what else would animals have as pets?" Krystal argued back, not following him completely.

"I don't know. Bugs, maybe."

Krystal snorted. "I can't imagine many people taking their spiders or cockroaches out for a walk. You can't just replace animals' old functions with bugs. It doesn't work. Would we eat bugs, too?"

Phoenix grimaced as he clutched his leg. "Still, having a mini, stupider version of yourself as a pet is irrational."

Krystal shrugged. "I dunno. I guess you just have intelligent animals on one hand, and dumb animals on the other. It's like Narnia."

Phoenix gave her a funny, confused look.

"What the hell is Narnia?"

"Grrr, you wanna shut up and let me drive, lion-heart?"

At that moment, their hover-car left the crowded campus buildings and entered the university's park, which offered the police a straight shot at them. On cue, a series of laser blasts shattered the hover-car's rear window, spraying glass everywhere.

"Never mind, you drive."

"What?" Phoenix asked, pulse beginning to race.

"This is turning into a gunfight, and I don't wanna be stuck with a wheel instead of a weapon in my hands. On three, we switch. One, two, three!"

"Wait!"

"I said, _switch_!"

Krystal grabbed his shoulder and jerked him into the driver's seat as she awkwardly climbed over him.

"Ow! Geeze, watch the leg!"

"Eye on the road, and whatever happens, don't look back!"

Rolling down her window, Krystal grabbed one of her silver pistols, sat in the open window, and leaned out over the road. Phoenix couldn't help glancing sideways at her as she aimed down her sights and fired off shot after shot. Two police cars went down, but the rest pulled over to the left lane, where Krystal couldn't properly shoot at them.

Climbing back inside, she ordered, "Quick, roll your window down."

"I can't shoot out of it!"

"I'll be doing the shooting, freakin' idiot! Now roll it down!"

Jumping at her command, Phoenix rolled down his window and was surprised as Krystal leaned over him to fire out the window. Phoenix was forced to bend and lean in a multitude of directions to see past her and keep track of the road.

"Ha haa!" the gunman exclaimed triumphantly, "Took down another of the pigs!"

"Y-you're insane!" Phoenix's voice cracked.

"I don't remember when the last time was that I had so much fun!" she exclaimed, sitting back down in her seat and firing out her own window. "Well... not since last mission, at least."

"What are you? An assassin? A pirate?"

"Bounty hunter," Krystal corrected as she loaded another clip into her gun.

"So, this is normal for you?"

"Well... I normally have to shoot _and_ drive."

Phoenix looked away from her and shook his head. "You're insane," he mumbled again.

Craning her neck, Krystal searched the fields of unmanicured grass that now bordered the road on either side. "I see my arwing; it's in the field on the left. Falco already grabbed his arwing."

"How'd he beat you?" Phoenix asked as he reluctantly veered the car off the street and into the tall, yellowed grass. A voice in the back of his head, the overly cautious one, kept nagging at him that he shouldn't tease a caged tiger.

"Because," Krystal growled, "He didn't have a lame-ass excuse for a hostage slowing him down the whole time!"

"Then why'd you bring me along, huh?"

"I needed you to show me how to get to the goddamn field!"

"That means _he_ didn't need any directions."

"Freakin' men and their directions!" Krystal exclaimed as she viciously kicked Phoenix in his wounded leg, which caused him to cry out and lose control of the car for a second. "Stop here!"

Phoenix slammed the brakes, causing the hover-car to come to a jolting stop just inside a small clearing. On the opposite side rested a large, white-and-blue fighter that seemed somehow... familiar, to Phoenix.

"An arwing, huh?" he asked as he eyed the ship.

"Yeah, one of the most maneuverable fighters ever made." Krystal fixed her gaze on Phoenix for a few seconds, then stared at the dashboard. "Look, uh, lion-heart... it was fun while it lasted. Of all the people I've shot in the leg, you're the one I'll remember the most."

"Wait, what?"

"It's time for me to make my escape now. Sorry, but you can't come any further." Krystal opened the door to the hover-car and slipped out, then shut it and leaned in through the window. "But you can keep the car. Compliments of me."

"I'll... get arrested if I keep it."

"Whatever. See-ya."

Skirting around the front of the car, Krystal hurried over to her arwing's side. But the present danger hadn't passed just yet. Careening out of the underbrush, a police hover-car stopped behind the one Krystal had borrowed, and two officers leaned out and began unloading laser fire into the side of the car.

Phoenix was forced to duck down below the car's windows. _Why are they shooting at me? _he thought to himself, _I'm just a civilian! This is ridiculous! _

Slowly raising his hands, he peeked out the window and called, "Hey, don't shoot! I'm not the one you – " but he was immediately silenced by another rain of laser fire. Glancing out his window, he saw that Krystal had noticed his predicament and was looking his way.

_Alright. A bit more time with her won't kill me. _Opening his door and crawling out, Phoenix proceeded to hobble as fast as he could towards Krystal's fighter. When he got to its side, Krystal was waiting for him.

"What's a matter? Your local mall-cops getting a bit overzealous with their job?"

"Please, It's your turn to help me now! I'm in a jam!"

"I thought you'd never ask. Come on, let's climb aboard."

With that, Krystal nimbly leapt up the side of her arwing, but was forced to turn around and give Phoenix a hand up. When they were both finally standing next to the cockpit, Krystal popped the windshield open to reveal the interior. There was only one seat.

They both shot each other glances.

"Aw, hell no."

"Look," Phoenix tried to reason, "I could squeeze in back somehow, or maybe I could sit, well – "

"You're riding outside."

"Out... outside?" Phoenix asked, voice rising in pitch. "Is that p-possible?"

"Yeah, it's been done. You won't do nothing fancy, like standing on the nose and taking out enemy ships, or anything."

"You've done that?"

"Yeah. Now shut up and grab onto that fin. I'll go easy on you, so don't worry about falling off." As Phoenix crawled his way towards the blue fin on the arwing's right side, Krystal hopped into the cockpit and started lowering the windshield. "Oh, and one more thing," she said with a wicked grin. "Don't look down."

"Right..."

Once they were situated, Krystal started up the engines and slowly lifted off amongst the small, intermittent rain of laser fire. As the arwing began to pick up speed and angle skywards, Phoenix tightened his hold and screamed into the deafening wind, "Oh, god! Oh, god! Oooooh, god!"

_I might never see the ground again, _he thought, _but then again, if I fall off, I might see it too early._

* * *

It wasn't a moment too soon that Krystal landed her arwing in her hulking carrier ship. Finally opening his eyes and loosening his grip on the arwing's fin, Phoenix slid down its side and fell to the floor like a rag doll. He was soaked to the bone from passing through cloud after cloud, his leg was still the source of shooting pains, and his hands and arms were numb from clutching onto the arwing so tightly.

After opening her cockpit, Krystal jumped to the ground and landing by Phoenix's side as nimbly as a cat. "Well, ya like her?"

"Like what?" Phoenix moaned as he lay flat on his back. "This ship?"

"Impressive, isn't it? It's called the _Great Fox._" Finally looking down at Phoenix's spread form, she added. "Hey, get up! We gotta get you patched up right quick. Bullets, unlike lasers, could get you an infection."

Struggling to his feet, Phoenix noticed a burn mark on Krystal's face. Gesturing to it, he said, "When did you get that?"

Krystal spat onto the ground. "Eh, cop hit me before we took off. Just nicked me, really."

"Looks pretty nasty, actually," Phoenix said as he pulled his sleeve over his hand and raised it to her face.

Grabbing his wrist, Krystal growled, "What do you think you're doing?"

"It's blistering. I'm cleaning it for you."

"Aw, how sweet of you. But you've got a bullet in your leg, and a little burn can't compare to that. The lack of oxygen you just experienced is getting to your head."

"No... it's just..."

"Just what?"

Phoenix shrugged. "Chivalry."

Krystal rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well a bullet hole trumps a small burn any day. Come on, drag your sorry ass to the bridge and I'll introduce you to the rest of the team. It gets pretty boring seeing the same faces every day."

* * *

Stopping at the doorway to the ship's bridge, Krystal jammed her fist into a button, and the two pieces of metal slid open. Booting him forwards, Krystal announced, "Alright, losers, here's our guest!"

A blue falcon wearing a white flight jacket looked up from the controls to Phoenix. Red rings circled sapphire-colored eyes that scanned Phoenix with the discernment of a hawk and the deadliness of a serpent.

"You never mentioned he was a fox," the avian said in an icy voice.

"What's it matter to you, Falco?" Krystal challenged him.

"Don't pay any attention to him," a voice came from behind Phoenix.

Turning around, he saw that an amphibian dressed in a grease-covered jumpsuit was leaning against the doorway, wiping off his hands with a cloth. As soon as Phoenix turned around and looked at the frog, the mechanic whispered, "Holy shit," and nearly dropped his wrench. "He looks just like – "

But Krystal didn't let him finish. Grabbing his wrench, she forced it into his mouth and growled, "What is it, Slip? You got somethin' you wanna say?"

The falcon continued to fix his cold gaze on Phoenix. "I know what you're doing, Krystal, and I don't like it."

Turning back, Krystal defended herself, "What was I supposed to do? He offered himself as a hostage and lead me to where my ship was! I had to take him with me, or the freakin' police would have shot him as well! And you guys hit it off so well over the radio!"

"I killed his chemistry teacher."

"Yeah, so?"

Falco crossed his arms and shook his head. "He's not staying. We drop him off back on Corneria the first chance we get." And with that, he stormed out the door, brushing past both Krystal and "Slip."

Krystal huffed. "Who does that prick think he is?"

Removing the wrench from his mouth, the frog said, "Hey, uh, sorry our first meeting went like this. Let's try again." Holding out his hand, the amphibian said, "Name's Slippy."

"Phoenix," the hostage said as he shook his hand.

Slippy's eyes fell to the stream of blood that had dried on Phoenix's pants. He grimaced. "Don't worry, I'll have you patched up in no time, and we'll have you back at home before dinner." Hies eyes suddenly narrowed, suspiciously. "Wait, you were hit with a bullet?" He glared at Krystal. "_You _shot him?!"

"He asked me to!"

"Nobody _asks _you to shoot them!"

Krystal shrugged while Phoenix answered, "Uh, actually, I did."

"Well... you can tell me everything as I'm patching you up. Come on, I'll help you to sickbay."

* * *

Relying on Slippy for support, which proved to be a difficult task because of their height difference, the two entered the infirmary. The room was painted pure white and stocked with various medical equipment, most of which Phoenix hoped the amphibian wouldn't have to use. As Slippy helped him down into one of the three operating tables, Phoenix said with a weak voice, "Uh, sorry to ask this, but are you qualified as a doctor?"

Slippy turned around to a pile of tools and began riffling through it. "Come to think of it... no, not really, though at least I'm a mechanic. There can't be that much of a difference between fixing up ships and fixing up people, right? They're both basically machines. Here, hold still."

Turning around suddenly, the mechanic hefted a chainsaw in the air and revved it up, causing the spinning links of chain to emit a deafening whirring noise.

Phoenix nearly fell off the table, yelling in fear.

The amphibian shut off the saw and lowered it to the floor, laughing. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. No, I am not a qualified doctor, but I've picked up enough to know how to remove a bullet. You'll be fine."

Gasping for breath, Phoenix settled back down on the operating table. "Oh... oh god... don't scare me like that."

"I never work without some sort of anesthesia, anyway."

Drawing a laser gun out of the pile of tools, he flipped the dial to "stun" and propmtly shot Phoenix in the leg. He grimaced, straightening up for a second and clutching his leg, but then realized it had gone completely numb.

"Hey... that kinda works, actually."

"Do you get faint at the sight of blood?" Slippy asked.

The image of the police officer spraying blood flashed before Phoenix's eyes. "Um... yeah, I guess so."

"I don't blame you. I use to get queasy at the sight of it, but eventually I developed a tolerance. But... it would be better if you didn't watch."

"Can you tell me what you're going to do beforehand?"

"Sure. I'll clean up the wound a bit, make the blood clot so you bleed as little as possible, dig around for the bullet, then fill in the hole with cell stimulants and nanobots to help. It actually heals pretty fast."

"Alright. You can start now, if you want."

As Slippy set to work rolling up his pants leg, Phoenix lay his head back and stared into the bright, overhead lights.

"Hey, can I ask a question?"

"Sure. Don't worry about distracting me."

"What was that all about? I mean, what happened in the bridge?"

Slippy fell quiet as he continued to work on Phoenix's leg. "I can't say."

"Why? Afraid to get another wrench shoved into your mouth?"

"No, I just can't violate a friendship, it wouldn't feel right. Some crap went down a few years ago, and I owe it to Krystal not to share any of her past. We've learned to move one, the three of us."

"Oh... sorry for prying."

Another awkward silence descended upon the room, during which Phoenix heard the plink of a bullet as it dropped onto a metal plate.

"You know... I feel like I've heard of you guys before. But it's only an old legend."

"Do tell."

"I... I'm not positive, but you guys remind me of Star Fox."

Slippy smiled. "Well, you figured that out pretty quickly."

"I recognized you, Falco, and Krystal from all the stories I heard back on Corneria. Some of them claimed you were the ones who defeated Andross during the Lylat Wars. But that can't be true, can it? General Pepper was the one who spear-headed the assault on Venom and finally executed Andross, wasn't he?"

"Don't believe all the stories the government tells you."

"Wait, you mean you all really did take out Andross?"

Slippy glanced at the door nervously. "Well, I guess it won't hurt to tell you any of this. It's not the whole truth, but it's some of it. We were the ones who defeated Andross in the end. Our team, the Hunting Party, use to go by another name, back when we were mercenaries. Yes, we used to be Star Fox. But then, well... we got trusted with some pretty secret government information, information we didn't like. After that, we had a falling out with the government, and they did their best to have the heroes of Lylat erased from history. They did a pretty good job, too."

"So, your team was named Star Fox after Krystal, right?"

Slippy snorted a bit, wheezing with laughter.

"What? Did I say something stupid?"

"No, no!" Slippy assured him as he continued to shake with laughter. "Sorry, it's just funny how your mind works. Yeah, the team was named after Krystal. Tell the guys back on Corneria that."

When Phoenix heard the tearing of gauze, he looked down the length of the operating table to find that Slippy was nearly done with his leg. In only a few more seconds, the amphibian had him neatly wrapped up in bandages.

"Well, that was fast," Phoenix said as he sat up and swung his legs off the operating table.

"No, wait!" Slippy cried, but Phoenix had already tried to stand. Forgetting that his leg was still numb, Phoenix collapsed to the floor once again.

"Ugh... geez."

* * *

A few minutes later, Phoenix and Slippy entered the bridge of the _Great Fox _to find Krystal and Falco seated at opposite ends of the room.

Noticing them step into the bridge, Falco stood up. "Look, we have to decide what to do with him. I, for one, say we should fly back to Corneria, hand him a parachute, and push him off the ship as fast as we can. I don't want to involve him anymore than we have to. He's a civilian, nothing more."

"I'm sorry to say this, Phoenix," Slippy added, "But I agree with Falco. You don't want to see anymore of what we do for a living. We aren't the heroes we were before. It would break your heart, I guess."

Krystal, however, remained silent. She sat with her combat boots propped up on the control panel and an apathetic expression on her face. One of her guns lay in pieces before her, strewn across a white cloth, in the process of being cleaned.

She was sitting in top of the main computer.

"Krystal, you gonna turn this ship around?" Falco asked.

The bounty huntress remained silent as she peered through the barrel piece, swabbing it out with a pipe-cleaner.

"Krystal..." the avian growled.

"I think the least we can do for the poor kid is show him a good time at the bar, don't you think?"

"We're not taking him to the Yellow Jack, if that's what you mean." Falco began to stride towards Krystal, rolling up his sleeves as he did so. "Now, are you gonna move, or not?"

But before he could reach her, Krystal's hands flew across the pieces of her gun, snapped them back into place faster than Phoenix's eyes could follow, and coolly pointed it at Falco. "Come on, I owe him a favor. He got me out of a tight spot, but how do I repay him? I shoot him in the leg and scare him half to death! Besides, it's where we're supposed to meet up with our last employer. Now, waddya say, bird-brain?"

Falco crossed his arms and turned away from Krystal, angrily marching in the opposite direction. "Fine, have it your way. But only a few hours at the bar, and then it's straight back to Corneria, got it?"

"That's more like it!" Krystal sighed out of satisfaction. "Course is all set!"

"You were expecting all of this, weren't you?" Slippy mumbled as he watched Falco stomp out the door.

"Er, yeah. Got a problem with that?"


	3. The Summoning Part 3: The Invitation

**Chapter 3: The Summoning**

**Part 3: The Invitation**

* * *

Phoenix soon learned that the 'Yellow Jack Bar' was hidden on the outskirts of the Meteo asteroid field. Of course he knew all of the rumors that floated around alongside the chunks of ice and rock; Meteo was said to be the home of countless criminals and government enemies of all kinds, whether it be common thieves, pirates, bounty hunters, or even remnants of Andross's forces that remained in hiding since the Lylat Wars. The outer rim of the field was home to shady repair shops, weapon and vehicle suppliers, and bars that couldn't care less about who their customers were. Deeper into the field could be found the Sargasso Space Zone, which hid vast assortments of criminals, assassins, or mercenaries down on their luck from the eyes of the law. The cesspool of a haven was virtually untouched by the Cornerian government; it was too difficult to safely maneuver a fleet large into the field on account of the millions of debris floating lazily in orbit. Any attempt by a large force would end up dashed against the sides of the asteroids. It had taken the brilliant mind of Andross to lead a fleet capable of an invasion through Meteo. However, his attention was directed towards Corneria, so the criminal underworld merely scattered to other regions of the asteroid field, and gathered together once he left.

It was not long after they entered the belt that Phoenix spotted the bar; it was built into the side of a sizable asteroid, complete with an air-dome and docking bay. As they entered the hangar, Phoenix couldn't help but gaze wide-eyed at the assortment of banged-up and ancient looking fighters and transport ships that lined the inside of the bay; most of them were covered in blackened trails from laser hits, dusted with sand and grit from excursions on desert planets, or scratched up from centuries of wear. A good number of the ships also had nick-names, logos, or signature phrases painted on their sides.

Jumping down off the control panel, Krystal walked past Phoenix and grabbed him by the ear. "Quit gawking," she groaned, "Everyone will think you've never been outside a church before. Don't ruin our image, will ya?"

"Ow! The ear, the ear!" Phoenix cried frantically as he was forced to follow Krystal outside the bridge, head first.

* * *

"Hey, Falco, look at this!" Krystal joked.

As Phoenix held the door to the barroom open for her, she strode triumphantly through and spread her arms wide in mock-amazement. "This 'chivalry' thing even opens doors for you! It's like magic!"

"I don't see what's so great about it," Falco mumbled as he stepped in after her.

"You could learn a thing or two from it, ya know?" Krystal said as she slapped him a little too hard on the back. "Maybe for the next time we run into Katt."

After he let Slippy through, Phoenix let the door swing shut behind him and looked around the bar. It truly was the most horrendous, sickeningly filthy sight he had ever laid eyes upon, a sight he believed was virtually non-existent in the Lylat System anymore, a sight he had only seen in old westerns and crime shows that hearkened back to a dying era. The Yellow Jack bore all the hallmarks of a classic shoot-em-up barroom; a pool table took up the center of the room, occupied by a gang of gnarly-looking mutts from the four corners of Lylat who no one in their right mind would ever entrust a cue-stick to, much less a gun or a spaceship. The game was surrounded by a number of circular tables, most of which hosted some sort of gambling event; cards flew, dice spun, and poker chips plinked against each other. The walls of the bar were lined with shaded booths lit with dim lights, the majority of which were occupied by employers, assassins, or lovers looking for a more private place to sit. The bar counter itself was placed along the wall closest to the doorway. Behind it was a massive shelf filled with more forms of alcohol than Phoenix thought existed. So dazzling was the assortment that it threw specks of colored light around the entire room, as if it was some profane stained-glass window.

Krystal immediately ambled over to the bar while Falco sought out a quiet corner to light a smoke in, and Slippy searched the booths to find their employer. Finally catching sight of their hirer, he strode off to meet him, but then noticed that Phoenix was awkwardly following behind. Turning around, he said something that Phoenix couldn't hear over the sound of the noisy barroom, so he had Phoenix lean down closer so he could shout in his ear.

"I'm going to collect the bounty from our employer, but you shouldn't come. Nothing personal. It's just... bad for business. Hey, look, why don't you join Krystal at the bar?"

Phoenix cringed. "You sure that's a good idea?" he shouted over the noise of the room.

"Sure, she won't mind. Just... if she drinks too much, I wouldn't hang around."

"Don't hang around?"

"As in, _run. _Just keep track of how many glasses she takes, and you'll be fine."

The amphibian patted him on the shoulder, then walked away towards their employer's booth carrying the briefcase Falco had attained from Phoenix's now deceased chemistry teacher.

Turning around to face the bar, Phoenix gulped, took a deep breath, exhaled, and set out nervously to join Krystal. Slipping into the cushioned stool next to her, he asked, "Uh, mind if I sit here?"

"About time you did," the blue-colored vixen muttered, already draining a glass. "You ever had beer before, kid? Or are you still under the drinking age?"

"Well, no, I'm only nineteen," Phoenix admitted, dejectedly. Then, as an afterthought, he added, "But I've tried some at home. I haven't really gotten used to the taste yet. I don't get why people like the stuff, actually."

Krystal chuckled, and the bartender slid her another glass of beer, which she promptly took a swig of. "That's how a lot of kids feel, lion-heart. The way I see it, it's sort of an acquired taste you have to develop. Granted, it's an easy one to acquire, but still, you can't just jump from your mama's milk to alcohol. No, you have to drink water, juice, soda, Tabasco sauce, and _then _beer. You get it, right? The drinks get more and more bitter." Pausing, she lifted her glass up and spilled it's contents down her throat, while Phoenix awkwardly watched. Then, trading her second glass for a third, she continued with her little spiel. "You have to get used to something progressively, like cooking a frog in a pot." After quickly glancing back at Slippy across the room, she amended her statement "Er, uh, lobster. The same goes for spicy foods sour candy. I'm sure there's some sort of science behind it." Krystal drowned herself out once again with her third glass while Phoenix watched, getting a bit nervous.

"Yeah, there is a scientific term for it. It's called alcoholism."

Finishing off the last drop, Krystal slammed her mug down on the table, causing Phoenix to jump in fear. Sliding her mug away, she gestured for yet another one. "Ha haa, and you've got a little thing called smart-assalism, don't you?"

Phoenix cursed himself inwardly for being too brave. To tell the truth, he was extremely nervous around killers, females, and killer females, but his mouth wouldn't shut up when the icy cold sinking feeling in his stomach told him to, and the fact that Krystal was already raising the forth glass to her lips wasn't exactly putting his fears to rest. Perhaps now was the time to run, before Krystal got too intoxicated and tried to murder him... or worse.

"Hey, look, uh... I think Slippy's nearly done with your employer... boss... dude, so I'm gonna see how he's doing. I can tell you want to be left – "

But before he could finish, Krystal's eyes narrowed at something over Phoenix's shoulder.

"Well look who we have here," she muttered.

Slowly turning around, Phoenix noticed a chameleon and a jet black panther standing in the doorway. The chameleon's cold, steely eyes flitted around the room, identifying potential threats to be wary of, while the panther's jumped from potential woman to victimize to potential woman to also victimize. Finally, their three gazes (the chameleon's eyes counted as two, as they never quite looked in the same direction) simultaneously landed on Krystal, who coincidentally met both of their requirements.

Rapidly turning back around, Phoenix lowered his head and whispered, "You know those guys?"

Krystal nodded. "Yeah, they're a part of Star Wolf. You've probably heard of them, the most famous bounty hunters in Sargasso. Not as good as us, mind you, but more famous. The lizard's Leon Powalski; he specializes in hit jobs. The cat's Panther. He specializes in pedophilia, and maybe a little piloting and marksmanship on the side."

"It's a specialty?" Phoenix mouthed in surprise.

Krystal hurriedly shushed him as the two bounty hunters came up behind them.

"Well, if it isn't the venomous vixen again," purred the black cat. "It could only be fate that has brought us together at such a lowly meeting place of villainy and scum."

"Screw off, puss-in-boots. Save the flattery for when you take your mom to prom night."

"Testy, as always," cackled the lizard. "Are you still angry about us beating you to that last bounty?"

"Hey! Don't go shooting your mouth off about that again! The Hunting Party has always beaten you in the past, and you know it!"

Panther's ears perked up. "Oh? What's this? Do I hear the fiery little fox wanting to prove her gender's superiority over that of the male race?"

"I could beat you freaks any day! It's the rest of the team that always slows me down!"

"I think she wants a challenge," Panther continued with a smooth voice. "What shall it be this time, my loyal compatriot?"

"How about a little knife throwing?" Leon said, spreading out an assortment of knives like a deck of cards that must have been concealed up his sleeve.

"Sure, why not?" Krystal said, hopping down from her bar stool. By now, the groups surrounding the tables closest to the bar had turned their attention to the three bounty hunters, expecting an entertaining show.

"First, the rules," Leon began. "Each of us will throw five knives at another person on our team; if they land more than an inch away, the other team wins. If you hit your teammate... well, they might die. Maybe."

"Next, we need a bet, something to rrrraise the stakes." Panther said, rolling his r's extravagantly.

"Like what?" Krystal growled, suspicious.

"Well, if I win," Panther whispered as he leaned in closer to Krystal, who defensively blew a breath full of bear into his face, "I get to spend a romantic night with – "

"No."

"A romantic evening with – "

"No."

"A romantic dinner with – "

"No."

Leon rolled his eyes, which actually was what they normally did. "Look, it's no fun if you don't risk anything besides your honor. Now, what will it be?"

Krystal crossed her arms and sulked for a minute, before replying, "Fine. The loser has to have a romantic dinner with Panther. That means, if I win..."

"I'll have to go out with Panther, is that it?"

"Yes."

"You wouldn't dare!" Panther hissed.

"If you want that evening with Krystal, you better agree to it."

"Alright. Fine. It's a deal."

"Oh, and I'll be representing Star Wolf in this little game of ours."

"What!" Panther cried. "Why would I entrust this to you?!"

"Because I'm the best at knife-throwing, you idiot. Don't you trust me not to hit you?"

"Alright, bueno. Then I guess you'll be using that repulsive frog on your team, Krystal?"

"Actually," the vixen said, turning to Phoenix, who was trying his best to go unnoticed, "I'll be throwing knives at this kid."

"Ah! So you finally got a fourth member on your team again! Though I doubt he'll ever rep – "

"No, he's not really part of the team. Just a little hostage I picked up on our latest mission. He's growing on me, enough to not want him hurt, if that's what you're worried about."

Leon spun Phoenix's bar stool around so that he was forced to stare into the chameleon's face. "Hm... he'll do. Come on, Panther, random fox kid; up against the wall."

The bar patrons closest to the indicated wall grabbed their tables and scooted their chairs out of the way, making a long, clear aisle for Krystal and Leon to throw their knives down.

_This is insane, _was all Phoenix could think as Krystal dragged him over and placed him against the wall.

"Straighten up," she whispered in his ear, breath warm from the amount of alcohol she had consumed. "Stay perfectly still, and there'll be a 99% chance I won't hit you."

Gulping, Phoenix stood ram-rod straight against the wall like a mummy going to die a second time. He couldn't believe it. _An intoxicated female bounty hunter is going to throw knives at me. Knives. At me._

_Shit!_

* * *

THUNK! The fourth knife landed mere centimeters from Phoenix's muzzle, and he swore it took a few whiskers with it. Exhaling deeply, he reached up and wiped the sweat from his brow. _Only one more. _The little game they were playing was beginning to get on his nerves. He was beginning to feel so sick from anxiety that he thought he might throw up before it ended. But it was for Krystal now. He couldn't imagine her going on a date with someone, anyway.

It was Leon's turn to throw. The chameleon held the knife by the blade as delicately as if he were holding a feather. Drawing the knife back, he quickly snapped his arm forwards, sending the knife spinning through the air until it lodged into the wall, a hair-breadth away from Panther's neck. The black cat didn't even flinch or bat an eye; he just grinned, devilishly.

"Last round, Krystal," Panther shouted across the room. "Why don't you give in already? Deep down inside, you know you really want – "

But Krystal, with lightning-quick speed, grabbed her last knife and flung it as hard as she could at Phoenix, who let out a cry of surprise as it sank into the wall, close enough so that it brushed against his shoulder.

All eyes in the bar were on Leon now. Spreading out his legs and clasping the knife between his hands as if he were imitating a karate pose, the chameleon slowly exhaled all of his breath and closed his eyes, seeking absolute peace. When the bar fell completely silent, Leon opened his eyes again, crossed them in a crazy manner, and uttered a guttural, undulating cry. Breaking his stance, he propelled himself in the air, spun around three times like a cyclone before he landed, and swung the knife in a wide arc at Panther.

The knife plunged into the feline's right shoulder, immediately drawing blood and eliciting a loud cry of pain. Leaving his position in front of the wall, he hopped around the room cursing bitterly in Spanish. Finally breaking from his fit he shouted in English, "DAMN YOU, LEON! YOU HIT ME ON PURPOSE, DIDN'T YOU! _DIDN'T YOU_!"

"It was the only reason I agreed to the challenge," the lizard admitted, collecting the knives he had lent Krystal. "It's not often I have an excuse to stick you with knives."

"But now our honor is ruined forever! We have to go on a date! A _date_! How will we ever face Wolf after this!"

"Maybe we'll invite him and another woman and make it a double. Look, whatever the price, it was worth sticking a knife into you. You will never know how long I've waited to do that."

As the bar's patrons split up into their usual groups again, Phoenix felt his stomach broiling up inside of him, a mix of fiery hot acid and icy cold chills. The stress of the competition had been too much for him. Running to the men's room, he flung the door open and rushed over to the sink as rapidly as possible. Bending over the filthy porcelain basin, he began to throw up what little he had had for lunch that day.

* * *

_Well, at least it's over, _he thought to himself as he watched the contents of his stomach poor down the drain.

The door opened behind him, and he heard footsteps slowly approach the sink next to his. Continuing to vomit, Phoenix didn't bother looking up, instead assuming it was either Falco, Slippy, or some other frequenter of the bar.

Once his stomach subsided, he turned on the sink and rinsed his mouth out with water until the acidic taste of his stomach fluids was nearly gone. Looking in the mirror, he met the blank stare of a heavy-set panda who stood behind his shoulder.

Still gasping for breath, Phoenix splashed his face with some water.

"That was a pretty brave act you did there, son," the panda said in a hoarse voice.

"Brave," Phoenix scoffed, wiping his face off with his hands, "One fear was just greater than the other, and that's all there was to it."

Phoenix turned to exit the bathroom, but he suddenly found the panda blocking his path.

"I'm scarred too, you know," the panda added. "Scarred of blood, scarred of pain... but there must be a way to face my fears." The bear's voice was shaking now, and his beady black eyes glowed with a violent light, a light of desperation. By the way he smelled and looked, Phoenix guessed he hadn't showered or slept in weeks.

"Look, sir, I would appreciate it if you would – "

"I have been facing my fears," the panda continued, unabated. Reaching into his coat pockets, he slowly pulled out a revolver and a sharpened blade, holding one in each hand. "The only way to conquer you fear is to expose yourself to more of it, to force yourself to live with it."

Phoenix didn't know how to react. His eyes widened and he backed up against the sink, but the psychotic bear followed him, lowering his gun to Phoenix's chest.

"For example, if you're afraid of heights, what do you do?" the panda asked, raising his knife to Phoenix's neck.

Phoenix was leaning backwards over the sink as far as he could, eyes wide as he stared into his assailant's face.

When the fox gave him no answer, the psycho continued. "He goes to lots of high places, right?" The panda's voice became ragged and interrupted by heavy breathing that made Phoenix's fur stand on end. "And if you're afraid of the dark, you sleep with the night light off. If you're claustrophobic, you ride a lot of elevators and buy little smart cars. So, if you're scarred of blood..." He trailed off, gently sliding his knife across Phoenix's exposed neck, catching the reflection of the overhead lights on the surface of the blade.

"You know... I've had this fear for a long time. I couldn't stomach even the slightest hint of red. But I couldn't take the fear any longer, so I decided to face it." His assailant's ramblings began to increase in speed as he became more exited. "I started out slow, just cutting myself a little here and there. Then I began killing house pets and wild animals; I even stole into morgues at night. Then, I began to prepare my meat myself, or even just eat it raw." Using the sharp blade now, he slowly slid it across Phoenix's skin, drawing a slight trickle of blood. "Eventually, I killed my first person. A poor delivery boy who stopped by my house... I don't think anyone missed him." Then, leaning in closer, he whispered in Phoenix's ear, "He was delicious..."

Unable to control himself any longer, Phoenix brought his knee up into the panda's gut and swatted the gun out of his hand, but not before he had reflexively discharged a shot. The psycho stumbled backwards, desperately sucking in air while Phoenix dove towards the gun. It had slid across the teal green restroom tiles to come to rest against the far wall. Grabbing the gun and sitting on the floor, Phoenix spun around to face the assailant, staring down the barrel at the panda's crazed face. The gun was shaking in his hands, a fact that did not escape his attacker. Slowly, but confidently, the panda approached him again, knife dangling restlessly at his side.

"S-stop!" Phoenix ordered with a trembling voice, "Or I'll shoot!"

The panda merely laughed at the threat and continued towards Phoenix, forcing the vulpine to scoot back into one of the stalls to maintain the distance between them. When his back pressed up against the toilet, he added, "Don't come any closer! I mean it!"

The panda paused in front of the door, looming over him and casting an even darker shadow into the bathroom stall. "We know you can't do that... then you'd become more like me. No one wants to be like me... why is that?"

Raising the knife again, he slowly leaned in over Phoenix, his tall form towering over him. "If you're lucky, I'll feed you a rib or two before you lose consciousness..."

Involuntarily, Phoenix let his tired arms drop to the floor, the gun clattering across the filthy tiles. He couldn't bring himself to shoot the animal, he couldn't kill no matter what, not even to save himself.

The panda's smiling head was inches from his own when the gunshot rang out.

A geyser of red blood sprayed into the air behind the bear's head, and his enormous body slumped forwards over Phoenix. His face landed on the rim of the toilet bowl, revealing the small, red hole at the back of his head, and causing Phoenix to scream from a mix of surprise and horror. He looked up to find Krystal sitting on the sink counter-top, her leg swinging back and forth like a cat's tail, and her gun trailing smoke.

"Krystal!" Phoenix exclaimed, his voice cracking. He did his best to crawl out from underneath the panda's limp form, scooting as far away as he could in the limited stall space.

"Bastard had it coming," Krystal said as she slipped off the counter top. Joining him in the stall, she set her boot against the back of the panda's head, forced it into the filthy bowl, and flushed the toilet. Looking up at her, Phoenix read an expression of hatred and disgust in her face, as if she were killing Andross herself. Once the toilet quieted down and began to refill with water, she turned her attention to Phoenix.

"Why didn't you shoot?" She growled, sliding her weapon back into its holster. "You had a gun right there in your hands, yet you didn't shoot!"

Phoenix cowered even further into the stall as possible under Krystal's fierce gaze. "I... I just couldn't do it! When I think of that police officer you killed, and the blood, and the look in his dying eyes, I... I – "

"Look, Phoenix," Krystal said, spitting into the toilet seat, "In this world, it's either kill or be killed, and if you won't...then someone else will have to. You had every legal, instinctive reason to shoot him, and you just let him come at you! Why didn't you just pull the trigger!"

"It's not that easy!" Phoenix defended himself. "I've never had to shoot someone before! Much less hold a gun in my hands! When was the first time you killed someone, huh? How old were you? Nineteen? Barely out of high school?"

Krystal's mouth remained closed, and the fiery glow in her eyes seemed to subside. Sighing, she leaned back against the opposite wall of the stall and slid down to the floor across from Phoenix, the panda's limp body awkwardly between them. She stared at the ground for a few seconds in silence, then took a cigarette from her pocket, placed it between her lips, and lit it with a lighter. Taking a single puff, she took it out and held it towards Phoenix.

"Come on, take it." All of the anger had suddenly gone out of her voice, replaced by a mellow sort of depression. Perhaps it was just the whimsy of the alcohol, or perhaps it was just Krystal's character, but the change in attitude seemed rather sudden to Phoenix.

"Please, don't tell me you've never smoked before..."

"No, I've smoked a few cigars, at least whenever I can get my hands on one." He accepted the cigarette, and took a small draw from it. After a few seconds, he began to feel the calming affects of the drug, and his heart rate and stomach began to subside.

"Look, I'm... I'm sorry about this," Krystal said, gesturing to the panda's body that lay with its head still in the toilet. "You shouldn't have had to see it. You and the rest of the privileged back on Corneria think that bounty hunting's all fun and games. It's like a western, or some cheesy action comedy flick to you guys. But it's not. You were bound to see something like this sooner or later. Too bad it had to be sooner."

Phoenix remained silent, not meeting Krystal's eyes.

"At the same time, though, it's not as screwed up as the crap you just saw. I really enjoy it. The guns, the exhilaration, the thrill, the guns, the last minute plans and ditch efforts, the guns... even just flying for thousands of miles out in the middle of nowhere is worth it. You never have to worry about the law, paying taxes, or worrying about saving face at school or work. You can do whatever the hell you want to, and no one will bat an eye."

Accepting her cigarette back from Phoenix, she drew a breath and continued. "They say – back when Corneria was just a country – that it was founded upon the concept of freedom. Pure freedom. Yeah, you had the right to protect your home and yourself from the government, the right to say anything you want, and the right to believe anything you want. But out here, out in the open space, that's where you can find real freedom, not the type that the government sells you. You can truly go it alone and have it the way _you_ want."

"Well... I wouldn't really mind that," Phoenix whispered. "I do feel like I'm trapped in a box at school, like my whole life is planned out for me, basically. A life out here would be tempting, to say the least."

"My point is... I wanted you to enjoy your time with us, out here without any laws. But you had to go through this. I... I want to make it up to you."

Phoenix's ears perked up out of curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"Let's make a deal. You come along with the Hunting Party on our next mission, and see what we do for a living. If you like it, maybe you could stay on the team for a little while. If you don't, we'll just let you off at Corneria and forget that we ever met."

"So... you're actually inviting me to join the team? Why?"

Krystal shrugged. "I hate seeing a kid like you disillusioned so quickly. So, what do you say, are you in?"

Phoenix slowly let out his breath. Was this really happening? He was sitting in a filthy, bathroom stall in a bar for bounty hunters in an asteroid field, thousands of miles away from Corneria, with a blue-furred killer vixen and the dead body of a cannibalistic panda bear lying between them with a bullet hole in the back of his head and his face submerged in a toilet.

"Hell yeah. I'm in."


	4. Rebellion Part 1: Instruments of War

**Chapter 4: Rebellion**

**Part 1: Instruments of War**

* * *

"This is not what I thought bounty-hunting was all about."

Phoenix was on his hands and knees, unenthusiastically cleaning the steel floor of the _Great Fox's _hangar. The dreadnaught was still parked in the Yellow Jack's docking bay, a fact that Phoenix was thankful for, as he hadn't completely gotten used to interplanetary travel.

As he continued to swab the floor with a rusted silver bucket and a moth-eaten rag (Phoenix had no idea how the insects had survived aboard the ship, or even it's crew, for that matter), while Krystal absently watched him from aboard her arwing. Her tail swished silently back and forth while she stared at him with bored eyes, as if he was one of the many floor tiles she was counting.

"Well... somebody's got to do it," she muttered in a low voice.

"Yeah, but these floors haven't been cleaned in years! You've gotten along fine without anyone so far. Why should I do it now?"

Krystal rolled her eyes while at the same time laying down on her back, probably to count the ceiling tiles this time. "Because that's the only way you'll make yourself useful around here, lion-heart. And, for the record, we have cleaned it in the past. We just made Slippy do it."

Phoenix paused to look around the dimly lit hangar, specifically noting the dust and grim that was piling up in all the usual places. "Well... he did a horrible job of it."

"We made him do it _once_."

"Oh," Phoenix said as he looked down at his handiwork. His reflection stared back up at him from the puddle of water and cleaning solution. "That explains it."

"Don't sound so down," Krystal chastised him from up on her perch. "Wait 'til we get a _real _mission. Then things will start to heat up and get lively."

As soon as the vixen finished her sentence, Falco entered the hangar from the side door and immediately set to work unlocking the cargo gates.

"What's up?" Krystal asked, arching her back so she could look upside down at Falco. "You loading replacement parts?"

The blue falcon next set to work sliding the gates open as he grunted, "No parts... we got... a job." By the time he had spat out the last word, both gates were open, and a pair of shady looking thugs were revealed outside in the Yellow Jack's docking bay. When they saw the gates were open, they hefted a large gray crate between them and carried it into the _Great Fox's _hangar. Once inside, they plopped it down next to Phoenix, cracked their knuckles and shook out their fingers, then turned around and left.

"Um, guys," Phoenix interjected, as neither Falco nor Krystal seemed to take notice of the two gorillas and their cargo. "What's in the box?"

Taking not notice of him, Krystal lazily rolled off the side of her arwing only to land on her feet as nimbly as a cat. "New job? Do tell."

Falco held up a finger. "Wait, let me get a hold of Slippy. He should be here for this." Lifting his wrist comm to his beak, he asked, "Slip? You copy?"

_"Affirmative," _the amphibian replied over the comm system.

"We got a new mission. Meet me and Krystal in the hangar, and I'll debrief you on it."

At that point, the two gorillas reappeared, carrying an identical crate to the first one they brought in. Once again, they set it on the ground next to Phoenix, and turned around to leave.

Slightly annoyed that his question was ignored, Phoenix dropped his rag in the bucket and stood up. Flipping two locks on the side of the crate, he lifted the top and peaked in.

"Wow... guys, that's a lot of grenades."

Falco glanced at Phoenix out of the corner of his eye, then turned back to Krystal. "Look, while we're waiting for Slippy, there's something else I wanted to tell you."

"Huh?" Krystal grunted, an inquisitive look on her face.

"It's about that little side arrangement you have with that vulpine. Slippy told me all about it."

Behind him, Phoenix had just succeeded in popping off the top of the first crate, revealing rows and rows of ammo belts stuffed with bullets. "What in the..." He watched in disbelief as the thugs unloaded a third crate, and presumably returned for even more. At this point, they were joined by even more workmen, who doubled the pace at which the metal trunks were loaded into the hangar.

"What about our little deal?" Krystal asked, defiantly. "So what if I invited him for a mission or two? That's between me and him, so bud out."

"Are you guys fine with this?" Phoenix's voice cracked as he was pushed aside by two workmen carrying another crate.

"I'm responsible for this team and this ship's safety," Falco replied, pointing a finger at himself, "So I have just as much say in it as you do. Obviously I'm against it."

"It's not like he'll get in the way or anything," Krystal said as she glanced at Phoenix, who had just been knocked to the floor by another pair of workmen, "He's just here for the show. What harm can he possibly do?"

"I'm just saying he's a civilian, he's never had any experience with this kind of stuff, and therefore he's more likely to get killed. We really should just take him back to – "

Krystal turned away from Falco and waved him away with her hand. "Look, I don't have to argue with you on this one. He's staying and that's that. I think this sorry bunch of murderers could use someone sane to talk to... for once."

At that point, the workmen unloaded the final crate, dusted their hands off, and hopped down off the _Great Fox _into the Yellow Jack's bay. Phoenix stood in the middle of a clump of haphazardly-stacked crates, overwhelmed by the amount of explosives and firepower contained in them.

Before Falco could respond to Krystal, a door hissed open on the opposite side of the hangar, and Slippy walked in. "What'd I miss?"

Sighing, Falco turned around to face him. "Nothing, actually, I was just about to start. Have all of you heard about the recent happenings on Aquas?"

Phoenix nodded, but Falco took no notice of him, so he spoke up. "The tensions between the reconstruction forces and the locals are heating up, right?"

"Right," Falco said. "It seems the Cornerians were a little to quick to help the Aquans clean up after Andross's invasion. Recently they've got their hands caught in the cookie jar, the cookie jar that Andross first opened, so to speak. The people are beginning to catch on that the Cornerians are only in it for themselves, so... the natives are getting restless."

"Yeah, yeah, I know all that," Slippy said as he hopped up onto one of the crates and lit a cigarette. Phoenix felt a chill run down his spine, and he nearly said something to the amphibian, but Slippy continued before he could go through with it. "Where do we come in?"

"We, my green friend, are shipping a cargo of explosives and weapons to the rebels, the Aquan natives." He gestured to the crates, upon one of which Slippy was sitting.

Cigarette still smoking from between his lips, the amphibian looked down at the crate beneath him, then, with an unconcerned expression, back at Falco. "So, it's a smuggling job?"

"Yeah. Plenty of money and all. We may finally get the replacement parts you wanted to fix our ships up with. So, you in?"

Slippy gestured with wide arms at the crates filling up the hangar bay around him. "Well, it's a bit late to say 'no', isn't it? But even so, of course I'd go along with ya. Aquas _is_ my home planet, after all."

"Krys?" Falco asked, looking over his shoulder at the pouting vixen.

"Anything to be a pain-in-the-ass for the Cornerians," she growled.

Finally, Falco's eyes settled on Phoenix, who had slowly inched to the farthest corner of the hangar away from Slippy and the explosives. "Last chance, Phoenix. You coming? I'd delay the mission and take you back to Corneria as soon as lift a finger, you know."

"Um... well..." Phoenix stuttered, unable to decide. Slippy seemed to be the only normal one of the bunch, the only one that he could carry on a conversation with without the fear of getting a bullet in his brain or the falcon's ice-cold gaze stabbing into his eyes. But, now that the amphibian was nonchalantly seated atop a crate of explosives with a cigarette in his mouth, he wasn't so sure. Regardless, the amphibian wouldn't mind having him along. He was still the sanest of the bunch.

Then again, Falco was drastically opposed to having a civilian along, especially one as clumsy and idiotic as himself. He had obviously not hit it off well with the steely avian. Perhaps he wanted him off the ship for his own safety, but Falco seemed to hate his guts.

Finally, he noticed Krystal staring at him, who glanced away as soon as their eyes met. He couldn't forget the deal he had made with the strange bounty hunter in the dingy bathroom stall of the Yellow Jack, not when she had saved his life. It was funny how half the time she wanted to kill him, and the other half she spent keeping him alive. For what reason, Phoenix didn't know why, but in the end she wanted him along.

Finally, he made up his mind to go along with it, even if it was only to find out her real reason.

"Sure, I'm in."

* * *

The voyage to Aquas was long, boring, and uneventful. Yeah.

* * *

"Hey, lion-heart, you ever been off of Corneria before?"

"Huh? Oh... actually no, I haven't."

Krystal rolled her eyes. "Figures."

The two vulpines, along with Falco, were standing in front of the metal porthole that opened out onto the top of the _Great Fox. _As Krystal began to rotate the gear that opened the door she grunted, "I just like seeing people's reactions when they first see a new place."

"Well, everyone has a first time, right?" Phoenix said in his own defense.

Falco chuckled. "You should have seen Krystal's face every time we took her to a new planet. Why she would – "

Krystal took a momentary break from twisting the gear to elbow Falco in the ribs. "Hey now, let's focus on the present, shall well?"

As Falco grabbed his rib cage and hacked a bit, Krystal completed the final rotation of the gear and threw the door open. A blinding light filled the dark hallways of the _Great Fox, _and Phoenix was forced to shield his eyes from the glow.

"You first, newbie," Krystal said as she unceremoniously booted him out the porthole.

Phoenix stumbled out the door, but managed to keep from face-planting. The moment he recovered his bearings, he was hit by a strong blast of wind that filled his lungs and nostrils with the sea air, a smell ten times more pleasing than he had ever experienced on a Cornerian beach. The _Great Fox _was floating on a sea of aquamarine water, whose color was only rivaled by the sapphire-hued sky. The ocean lazily lapped at the sides of the dreadnaught, gently shaking the craft, while a light breeze swept over the top of the ship.

"See, I told you he'd be amazed," Krystal said behind him.

"Of course I am!" Phoenix exclaimed, wheeling around to face the two bounty-hunters. "I've never seen anything like this on Corneria!"

"Slip would be pleased to hear that," Falco muttered as he stared out at the waves. "Anyway, now we just have to wait 'til the rebels meet up with us."

As the trio stood in silence and took in the beautiful sight of Aquas' ocean, a thought dawned on Phoenix.

"Hey, uh... how are we going to load the munitions on their ships when they get here?"

"The stuff's in the lower hangar," Falco replied. "We'll just have them... uh... we'll..." When Falco realized the hangar gates were submerged several feet underwater, he swore beneath his breath and turned around. "Come on, Phoenix," he said as he waved a hand and ducked back inside, "Let's carry 'em all up."

Phoenix silently cursed himself for speaking up, but at least he had pointed that fact out now instead of further down the line.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Falco and Phoenix stumbled out onto the deck carrying the last of the numerous crates between them, on top of which sat Krystal, who was carelessly flipping a grenade in her hands.

"You could have helped us, you know," Falco growled.

"Sorry, boys," Krystal replied as she twirled the grenade in her paws, "But... oh, what do you call it, Phoenix?"

"Chivalry," the vulpine managed to gasp as his arms shook from over-exertion.

"Yeah, that's it. I _would_ have helped, but he wouldn't let me because of his religion or whatever."

"Well," Falco began as he dropped his end of the crate, "The least you could have done was not add to the weight!"

With her litter parked, Krystal hopped off and slipped the grenade back into the crate. "It was boring enough not doing anything. Letting you guys carry me around was all I could do to stay occupied."

"What about helping?" Falco spat as he doubled over and placed his hands on his knees. "That would keep you occupied."

"What I want to know," Phoenix said, changing the subject, "Is why we're giving them physical projectile weapons, as opposed to laser weapons."

"Krystal's the one to ask," Falco replied, straightening up and indicating the vixen. "She's got a hundred reasons why using out-dated weapons is better. Give him the reasons, Krys."

"Because they're fucking fun, that's why."

"See? Hundreds of reasons why." Falco unclasped a water flask from his belt and raised it to his open beak.

"Um... but really, though, why bullets?"

When Falco was finished taking a drink, he passed the water to Phoenix and began to explain. "Well, there are several reasons. They're much less expensive, they don't have energy signatures to trace, they are much more prevalent on the black market... that's all I got."

"Rebels are here," Slippy's voice said.

The trio turned around just as the amphibian was stepping out of the porthole.

"Hey, you're supposed to be at the controls in case anything goes wrong," Falco chastised him.

"It's been a long time since I've been on Aquas," Slippy complained, "And I wanted to get outside. It also might be reassuring to the rebels if someone of their own kind greeted them."

"Eh, you've got a point," Falco admitted. Turning back to the door, he added, "I'll go man the controls if no one else will."

"Yeah, you do that, feather-brain," Slippy said once Falco was out of earshot. Raising a pair of binoculars to his eyes, he searched the horizon line. Pointing with his arm, he said, "There they are."

It was a few more minutes before the Aquan rebel forces pulled up beside the _Great Fox._ The transport group was nearly the size of a small fleet, composed of three main battleships, two patrols boats and two air-and-spacecraft carriers capable of launching fighters on short notice. The two carriers pulled up on either side of the _Great Fox_, presumably to take in the cargo, while the rest of the fleet lazily circled around the dreadnaught. A ramp was lowered from the first carrier to the top deck of the _Great Fox_, and a small group of aquatic animals walked aboard. The trio consisted of a frog, a seal, and a salamander dressed in frayed green military uniforms. The frog stepped forward and shook hands with Slippy while eyeing Phoenix and Krystal.

"Thank you for your service," the frog said to Slippy. Next, he produced a small bag of credits and handed them over. "Might as well give you the payment now."

"Yeah, uh, thanks," Slippy said as he awkwardly took the bag and scratched the back of his neck. Phoenix could tell the mechanic was embarrassed at having to take money from a compatriot and a cause which he supported and probably wished he was fighting for.

"Say, can we talk a bit?" Slippy spoke up, looking up from the bag at the other amphibian. "I don't get as much news as I'd like to. Well, not inside news. I'd like to know how the defense is going."

"Glad to fill you in," the frog said. "We can talk while my men load the supplies onto our ships."

The two amphibians turned around and began talking back and forth in hushed voices as they walked down the length of the _Great Fox. _Krystal huffed and crossed her arms. Phoenix sat and slid down the sloped side of the _Great Fox _until he was close enough to touch the water. As the militia's warships circled the dreadnaught, the waves around the _Great Fox _became more choppy, sending up splashes of sea foam that wet Phoenix's face. The water was actually quite welcome after the exertion of hauling crate after crate topside, as well as the heat from the sun that beat down on the group of rebels and smugglers. Maybe if he had chosen to sit in the shade of the _Great Fox's _back fin he could have avoided the sun.

Craning his neck, he looked at the area shaded by the large fin, only to find it was occupied by Krystal, who stared out over the waves absently. Phoenix didn't have the courage to join her, so he resolved to sit tight and wait out the hot sun. _What a pretty picture we must make, seated on either side of the ship, _Phoenix thought to himself._ One in the shadow__s__, the other in the sun.__ Kinda makes me sick..._

The last of the crates were nearly loaded onto the carriers when Krystal's wrist comm buzzed. Holding the device in front of her, she answered, "Yeah?"

_"__We've got company," _Falco's voice replied.

At the sound of the falcon's concerned voice, Phoenix stood up. A little too quickly, in fact, as he almost slipped down the side into the water. Scrambling up the side, he got closer to Krystal in time to hear her answer.

"What do you mean? More rebels? Or Cornerians?"

_"__Don't know," _Falco replied, _"But you should ask the Aquans. Our sensors are longer than theirs, since their ships are only equip__p__ed with basic radar. __They probably haven't picked up their signature yet.__"_

"Right, I'll ask."

Krystal caught Slippy and the Aquans' leader just as they were returning from their walk to the _Great Fox's _nose and back. Phoenix wasn't able to make out what they said, as their voices were swept away by the wind, but eventually the frog spoke into his radio set, listened for a moment, then nodded urgently. Krystal and Slippy turned and ran towards Phoenix while the Aquans returned to their boats.

"The military's here?" Phoenix asked when they were within earshot.

"Occupation forces, and lots of them," Krystal said.

"To be honest, I was actually hoping for this," Slippy admitted. "I've wanted to fight in the rebellion for a while now, ever since it hit the news. It's my home planet after all."

"Oh, I was hoping we'd get to fight them as well," Krystal laughed.

"Huh?" Slippy grunted.

"Smuggling missions never interest me unless there's a slip-up somewhere, and we run into enemies. Besides, what if the only full job Phoenix saw us pull was a mail delivery? We can't disappoint him."

Slippy grinned. "I'm going inside to pilot the _Great Fox. _Let's show these bastards they can't take over Slippy's planet so easily! Y'all better come inside; we aren't gonna be sitting ducks for them to shoot at. We've got one advantage; we can fly."

"Right, we'll join you in the bridge," Krystal agreed.

Slippy was the first to enter the _Great Fox, _followed closely by Krystal. But, as she lowered her head to duck through the porthole, her ears perked up. Slowly raising her head again and turning around, her emerald eyes searched the sky.

"What is it?" Phoenix asked.

"I'd know that sound anywhere..." Krystal muttered.

Soon, Phoenix picked up on the noise as well; a constant whipping sound that seemed to be getting closer and closer. Eventually, Krystal caught sight of the object and pointed it out to Phoenix. Following the direction of her finger, Phoenix noticed a black helicopter sweeping in over the sea-green waves of Aquas. As he looked closer, her realized a dark figure was hanging from the chopper by a black cable.

"It's _him,_" Krystal spat.

"Huh? Who? Don't use pronouns!"

But before Krystal could answer, the helicopter was above the _Great Fox. _To Phoenix's surprise, the figure hanging from the cable let go, landing in an expertly executed roll and coming to a standing position. When the tall, dark figure straightened up to his full height, he was head and shoulders above Phoenix, casting a long shadow down the length of the _Great Fox._ With his dramatic entrance completed, the dark figure spoke in a low, gravely voice.

"I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick tail…and I'm all out of bubble gum."


	5. Rebellion Part 2: First Blood

**Chapter 5: Rebellion**

**Part 2: First Blood**

* * *

Phoenix stood slack-jawed in the presence of the dark figure.

The newcomer was big, extremely big. His tall frame towered over six-and-a-half feet, dwarfing both Phoenix and Krystal. The fox wore a long black trench coat opened to reveal an extremely muscular torso covered in mahogany-colored fur. His dark red coat was marred by an assortment of scars that seemed to criss-cross with his abs. You could probably play tic-tac-toe across his chest, if you wanted to. The vulpine's face was shaded by a floppy black fedora, as well as a pair of dark shades. Eventually, Phoenix's eyes wandered down to the intruder's gun belt, strapped to which were two machine guns normally seen mounted atop a vehicle. Phoenix couldn't believe his eyes; it was just ridiculous that anyone could carry one around on his own, let alone two.

In all honesty, he was the most intimidating person Phoenix had seen in his life.

With his opening line uttered, the newcomer cracked his knuckles by weaving his fingers together and extending his arms forward, then proceeded to roll his head around and pop his neck with several unsettling cracks.

Nervously stepping behind Krystal, Phoenix inquired, "Who is this guy?"

Swinging her head around to glare at him, she hissed, "Quiet! Don't get him started, you idiot."

But it was too late; the imposing vulpine had already heard Phoenix's question.

"The name's Taylor. _Jax_ Taylor."

Krystal cringed, then rolled her eyes. "I hate his guts. He's always like this."

"Huh? Like what?" Phoenix asked. "You know this guy?"

Stepping between Jax Taylor and Phoenix, Krystal crouched into a fighting stance, hands dangling above her guns, fingers flexing. "Yeah, we seem to keep running into this oldie. He's a bounty hunter, assassin, or mercenary, depending on what the job calls for. Right now, I would predict... eh, a mercenary."

"Kinda like you guys, right? Sometimes bounty-hunters, sometimes smugglers."

Krystal smirked. "Hey, anything for money." This time addressing their enemy, she said, "Screw off, Taylor. We're in the middle of a job here. If you don't throw yourself into the water in five seconds, or call your pathetic little excuse for a helicopter back, we're gonna have to make you leave the hard way."

Taylor laughed a deep-throated laugh. "Go ahead, punk." Lowering into a fighter stance of his own, he lowered his biker-gloved hands to hover above his machine guns. "Make my day."

As the two bounty-hunters were shouting back and forth, the Cornerian occupation forces sailed into view. Their army was probably twice the size of the rebel's fleet, and better equipped to boot. Well, that depended on how fast the Aquan natives could distribute the supplies the Hunting Party had brought them between their ships. In no time, the enemy fleet had encircled the Aquans and the _Great Fox. _To make matters worse, they spared the formalities by immediately opening fire and starting the skirmish.

_"__Krystal," _Slippy's voice said through her comm system. _"I'm lifting off now. The Cornerians never expected the presence of a __dreadnaught__, I'll bet, which definitely gives us an advantage. Where are you?"_

"Outside," Krystal replied without taking her dagger-like gaze off of Taylor or moving her hands from their position near her guns.

_"__Outside?!" _Slippy exclaimed. _"What are you, nuts! We're going to be doing some battle maneuvers in a few seconds! I would strongly advise – "_

"Enough, Slippy," Krystal said with an ice-cold voice. "I assure you the view is much better from out here."

The tone in her voice was enough to alert Slippy to not continue bothering her. Instead, the engines of the _Great Fox _roared to life, evaporating the water beneath the ship and behind its main thrusters. Phoenix sank to a kneeling position to steady himself as the _Great Fox _lifted out of the water, but Krystal and Jax Taylor didn't move a muscle. It reminded Phoenix of how he and his friends would never hold on to a railing while riding the metro back on Corneria. _Some sort of __male __pride thing_, he guessed.

When the _Great Fox _reached a height of a couple hundred feet above the top of the largest battleship, the ship cut off its ascent. As soon as it stopped, the two enemies sprung into action. While Taylor unhooked his machine guns and brought them upright, Krystal shoved Phoenix aside and dove in the opposite direction. Taken by surprise, Phoenix rolled down the side of the _Great Fox _until he was able to catch a hold of its wing. He hung by his arms for a minute, legs swinging out over hundreds of feet of open air met by choppy waves below. Gunfire broke out above and behind him, towards the bridge of the _Great Fox. _The sound of Taylor's machine guns was unmistakable; they rattled off as if someone had gotten a jackpot on a slot machine only to have round after round of bullets pour out instead of credits. In between the blasts of the machine gun, Phoenix could occasionally hear the more punctuated fire from Krystal's silver handguns, each time imagining they were shooting into his leg again.

Using what little upper-arm strength he had, Phoenix hoisted himself onto the wing and scooted as far away from the edge as possible. Then, crouching low against the side of the ship, he watched as the two simultaneous battles unfolded.

Below him, the sea was a mad storm of chaos. The Aquans had pushed out into the Cornerians fleet, consequentially dividing their forces into what appeared to be a mad free-for-all. The Aquans were clearly at a disadvantage; not only were they out-manned and out-gunned two to one, they were also caught in the open sea with no cover. Naturally trained for guerrilla combat, the rebels always tried to control where battles took place; the waterways of cities, mazes of reefs, clumps of islands, mouths of rivers, anything that utilized their knowledge of their home planet or skill at aquatic combat, while at the same time negating the advantage of numbers the other side had by separating their forces and making them come one at a time. But here, out in the open, they had none of those advantages.

Still, Phoenix was surprised at how resourceful they were even in a situation as dire as this. By weaving in and out of the larger Cornerian fleet, the rebels used their enemy's own ships for cover. While the Aquans could fire at will, the Cornerians had to play it safe or they would run the risk of hitting their own ships. And, to make up for their lack of units, they had the _Great Fox _on their side. With Slippy at the controls, the ship rotated around on its axis while tilting down to fire its main cannons at the enemy battleships. The dreadnaught proved to be a very difficult target to hit, as it took some time for the Cornerians to adjust their guns to the _Great Fox's _height.

"Dammit!" Krystal cursed as she backed away from the brute closer to Phoenix. "Why can't I hit him? It's like magic or something! My bullets just... just seem to _avoid_ him with a will of their own! They can't touch him!"

It was true, Phoenix thought. The gunfight had been continuing for several minutes, but not once had Krystal managed to shoot even Taylor's long billowing trench coat that taunted her like a matador's cape. Krystal, on the other hand, had nearly been shot several times. While the bullets only succeeded in grazing her, she bled from several places on her arms and sides. Additionally, she was a bit shaken-up from the outrageous gymnastics she was forced to pull to avoid Taylor's machine guns. As he had the stronger firepower, Jax was the one who controlled the flow of the battle, forcing Krystal to revolve around him.

As Krystal panted from exertion, the dark bounty hunter tried to provoke her, saying, "So, what? Are you gonna do something or just stand there and bleed? Dying ain't much of a living, girl."

"Two in one," Phoenix heard Krystal mutter under her breath. "That's a new one on me."

"Look," the bounty-hunter continued, "There's gotta be a hundred reasons why I don't blow you away, but right now, I can't think of one."

Krystal grinned. "I can." She pointed to his machine guns, triumphantly. "You're out of ammo."

Taylor looked down. "Damn, girl, you're right." Latching his guns back onto his belt, Taylor raised his fists and prepared for hand-to-hand combat.

Taking him up on the challenge, Krystal slipped her silver pistols back into their holsters and assumed the same stance.

"What are you doing?" Phoenix asked. "Just shoot him already! He's wide open!"

"Phoenix," Krystal sighed, exasperated, "There are some things you have to learn in my business. Rule number one; never pass up a melee duel with an equal."

"You have _rules_?" Phoenix exclaimed, surprised.

Krystal didn't answer. Instead, she charged forwards faster than Phoenix could blink. As Jax swung his right fist at her face, Krystal arched her back as if ducking under a limbo pole, sliding forwards on her feet and allowing her momentum to carry her underneath his arm. By the time Krystal had stopped, her hands were also supporting her weight, turning her body into a full bridge. Before the black clad vulpine could react, Krystal pushed off the ground with her feet using her hands as an axis to perform a backwards somersault. Her two combat boots delivered a crushing blow to Taylor's already banged-up face, resulting in immediate retaliation on his part. This time swinging his left fist, he attempted to return the favor, but Krystal was too agile for him. Catching on to his other arm, she used his own strength against him to swing behind the vulpine and bring her fists down on the back of his neck.

Recovering from the two blows and turning to face the nimble vixen, Jax complained, "Once again, your size proves misleading. Hey, Krystal, have you ever been mistaken for a man?"

"No, have you?" Krystal spat back. Then, turning her head towards Phoenix and shrugging, she mouthed, _Sorry; he has me doing it, __too._

The rest of the fight went much the same way, with Krystal trying to stay one step ahead of Jax and as close to him as possible, while Jax tried to get her out into the open and at a distance. It really wasn't that different from when they had guns, as Krystal was still forced to revolve around a much stronger adversary. But, much like the Aquans were doing below, Krystal maximized her strengths by sticking to him like his shadow, and using his own strength against him.

From his position on the _Great Fox's _wing, it was unclear to Phoenix which of the two bounty-hunters would win. Krystal could definitely land more blows than Taylor could, but when he got a punch in, boy did he get a punch in. It was just on one of these such occasions that Taylor managed to deliver a powerful kick to Krystal's abdomen, knocking both the wind from her stomach and her stomach from her mouth. Krystal flew backwards from the impact, but managed to roll into a kneeling position where she could gasp for breath and recover while at the same time keep an eye her opponent. They eyed each other nervously for a moment, Jax wiping a small trickle of blood from his mouth while Krystal nursed her stomach.

The two had come to another deadly stand-still.

Just then, three signal flares sprang up from the Cornerian forces below them; one red, one green, and one blue; it was the universal signal for retreat. As the defeated occupation forces beat a hasty retreat, Jax took several cautious steps back towards the bridge of the _Great Fox. _While Krystal slowly pursued him like a predator who knows she has the kill, Taylor was caught between her and a 300 foot drop off the _Great Fox's _nose. Just as his face broke out in a nervous sweat, a familiar droning sound filled the air.

As the earsplitting roar grew closer, Jax Taylor grinned victoriously from ear to ear underneath his dark sunglasses.

"I'll be back."

Then, out of nowhere, a lift cable swung over the _Great Fox's _bridge. The massive vulpine grabbed ahold, and was immediately swept away and pulled into the chopper.

Phoenix scrambled up the wing onto the back of the _Great Fox _and rushed to Krystal's side. As the military-grade helicopter flew towards the blinding sun, the two foxes raised their hands to shield their eyes and watched as it disappeared.

"And he's always like this?" Phoenix asked, still watching the black chopper and Jax Taylor fade into the horizon.

"Every... freakin'... time..." Krystal struggled to gasp.

Something about the sound of her voice wasn't right. Concerned, Phoenix turned towards the Cerenian vixen just in time to watch her sink to her knees and wrap her arms around her stomach. Panicking, Phoenix knelt beside her and tried to catch her gaze.

"Hey, are you alright?"

In response, the bounty-hunter coughed up a spray of blood.

_"__Oh crap, what do I do?"_ Phoenix whispered to himself. "You probably have broken ribs, or organ damage, or-or internal bleeding, or all three! Or... heck, I don't know! I'm not a doctor!"

When Krystal attempted to straighten to her feet, Phoenix slipped his arm around her shoulder and threw her arm over his.

"What... what are you doing, lion-heart?" she growled.

"Helping you get inside to Slippy. You must have gotten pretty banged-up in that fight!"

Krystal hesitated a moment, as if she were trying to make up her mind.

Finally, she shrugged him off and stumbled forwards on her own. "Phoenix, just... leave it alone, okay? If I need your help, I'll ask for it."

"You sure?" Phoenix asked, stepping towards her again. "'Cause if that bird finds out you died on my account, I don't want to answer for it."

Krystal spat to the side, her saliva mixed with blood. "Hey, if he were out here, I'd tell him to screw off, too. Now, either you leave me alone, or I push you over the side!"

"Okay, okay!" Phoenix reassured her as he cautiously backed away and gave her some space.

"Freaking asshole," he heard her mutter under her breath. Then, catching his gaze, she explained, "Not you, idiot. I meant Taylor. I swear every time I run into that moron... and it's only because he's got 200 pounds more than me. I mean, if _I _had that much strength, I sure wouldn't stand still in one spot the whole entire time like he does. Geez, what a waste... that dipshit."

As Phoenix followed her inside the _Great Fox, _Krystal continued to unload profanities besmirching the rival bounty-hunter's name.

_There's one thing for sure, _Phoenix thought to himself, _I have to avoid getting on this woman's bad side. _Then, after realizing she would give just as much thought to throwing Phoenix over the side of the _Great Fox _as she would Taylor, he added, _Or does she even have a good side?_

* * *

"Jaxsss Taylor... you lazsssy ssson of... you... you ssssson of a..."

Instead of finishing her slurred sentence, Krystal slammed her empty mug down on the table and fell face first onto the polished wood surface, out like a light.

Across from her slumped form, Jax Taylor laughed heartily, slowly clapping his hands. "A moment of silence, for the fallen warrior, if you all don't mind."

After patching up Krystal's injuries as best they could, the Hunting Party had returned to the Yellow Jack Bar to celebrate the completion of their most recent mission, and the large pay check that came with it. Currently, Phoenix sat with the team of bounty-hunters across from Jax Taylor, an amber sea of beer mugs that would rival Aquas in between them. The entire body of bar patrons was gathered around their table, cheering and jeering them on as the contest progressed.

Falco was next in line as he took Krystal's place. Apparently, Jax was taking on the entire team.

"She could have drank twice as much if you hadn't bashed her stomach in," Falco leered.

"What if I told you... that it's her fault," Taylor returned as he slid another glass across the table to Falco.

"I don't get it," Phoenix whispered behind his hand to Slippy.

"Get what?"

Phoenix gestured at Krystal's dazed, smiling expression and Jax Taylor's chuckling form across from them. "Yesterday they were at each other's throats and would have killed each other within a second. But now... they're drinking together!"

"Yeah, well, that's the way it is out here," Slippy mumbled as he crossed his arms and leaned forwards on the table. His elbows cleared a little alcove in the wall of beer mugs for his chin to rest on.

"And they do this... all the time..." Phoenix wondered aloud.

"Hey, once you've fought against and alongside someone, and drank with and against someone enough times, you surpass normal societal boundaries. That's how far the Hunting Party has come, and it's the same messed up relationship we have with these guys here. Well, I don't think Krystal would ever cut my throat while I'm sleeping, exactly, but I wonder sometimes. Heck, I bet even – "

At that moment, Falco's last mug slammed down on the table, and he slouched over closer to Phoenix. The avian struggled for words as he said, "Lisssten, Phoenixsss; if... if you... if'n youze take over... over for me againssst Taylor here... I'll... I'll... what wuz it I wuz gonna... oh yeah, I'll let you join the team."

"Wait, what?" Phoenix asked, surprised. If Falco was more sober, he knew he would have never made the offer. "You'd really want me on the team?"

"Ssssure thing, pal..." Falco slurred as he dealt Phoenix a hefty slap on the back.

Phoenix gulped. "Uh... alright. What do I have to do?"

Passing a sloshing mug to Phoenix, Falco said, "Drink." With that, he slumped forwards and stretched out lifelessly beside Krystal.

Taking the mug in his hands, he took inventory of Jax' current level of alcohol. While the ripped vulpine had consumed the same amount as Krystal and Falco put together, he showed no visible signs of drunkenness, except, perhaps, for his slightly expanded vocabulary.

"Well, cub," the massive bounty hunter said, "What's it gonna be? Are you in?"

_Midterms are coming up, _Phoenix thought. _What have I got to lose?_

"Sure, I'm in. Bring it on, Schwarzenegger."

...The Hunting Party lost the game.

* * *

**A/N: Ah, so much fun writing this chapter. I have to say, most of the credit goes to Razorblade88 for Jax Taylor's character. He suggested a more serious 80's styled action hero, and I took the idea and made him into more of a comedic parody. Anyway, this story arc would have been a lot less colorful if he hadn't suggested the character. So a big thank you to Razorblade88!**


	6. Wastelands

**Chapter 6: Wastelands**

* * *

As soon as the metal door of their transport opened, Phoenix crawled out and fell face-first onto the filthy ground below. As the smoke from their wrecked, burning ship drifted in his direction, he began coughing and retching uncontrollably. Krystal performed a much more dignified exit, as she hopped down from the transport door and managed to land upright with a practiced bearing. Grabbing Phoenix's arm, she dragged him away from the burning wreckage and out of the trail of smoke, allowing him to catch his breath.

His breathing now regular, Phoenix looked up and scanned their surroundings. He was rather disappointed, but he had expected it. As far as the eye could see, sickly green clouds the color of puke, rotting moss, baby poop, toe jam, and aged guacamole, stretched across the sky. When he had first fallen out of the transport ship, his fall had been broken by the soft, yet grimy sand of a gray beach bordered on both sides by filthy water. They had apparently crash-landed on a thin stretch of sandbar what extended into the distance as far as the eye could see.

The strong fumes that rose out of the ocean caused an acrid film to form on the back of his throat, and was little better than the fumes from the burning ship they had left behind.

_Why couldn't we have crashed on Aquas instead? _Phoenix lamented, inwardly.

Straightening up, Krystal looked back at the burning wreckage behind them.

"Well, that wasn't too bad, was it? At least we didn't die. No broken bones, but we may get a nasty case of whiplash."

Phoenix turned around as well, his eyes tracing a long impact trail in the sand that lead to what remained of their ship.

"So, what now?" Phoenix asked, standing up.

Krystal took a moment to scan the horizon, noting their limited options.

"Well... we can't contact the _Great Fox, _or the pirates will intercept our transmission. And they'll probably find where we crashed, so we should get moving."

"So, we're stuck on Zoness?"

"Yeah. We uh... we got no water, either."

Both of them eyed the toxic-colored liquid that lapped at the gray sand beach for a moment.

"I'd rather drink toilet water from the Yellow Jack than that," Krystal admitted.

"Do you at least have the bank numbers?" Phoenix asked.

Krystal fished in one of her pants pockets for a second, then removed a small credits pack. "Our paycheck is guaranteed, but we're screwed food-wise."

"You got a plan?"

"Don't worry; I always have a plan. Usually it's just 'kill 'em all', but there's no one we can kill yet, so that plan is out. Instead, we could contact Falco and Slippy, but, once we do, the pirates will come for us. We need to be prepared for both our teammates and enemies to show up after sending any sort of communication. If we broadcast our position now, we wouldn't have any cover when they came."

"So... how about a city?" Phoenix ventured.

"That's what I was thinking," Krystal said as she activated her wrist comm. After staring at it for a minute, she pointed along the coastline to their right. "If we follow the shore that direction, there appears to be a city or something. We can find cover their and set up a beacon. Then, when the pirates come, we'll be prepared. Come on, let's go."

Krystal turned and began trudging down the shore in the direction of the city, without looking back to see if Phoenix was following her. He matched her pace, yet was careful to remain a couple steps behind.

They carried on in silence for some time, the only sound supplied by the oozing ocean, the whistling sea breeze, and their boots scraping against the sand. It wasn't exactly Phoenix's idea of an ideal first mission as part of the team. Or, for that matter, it wasn't his idea of a good first outing alone with Krystal. Truthfully, he was thankful that she wasn't trying to kill, wound, or verbally abuse him as she had so often done in their first few excursions, and it was much more relaxing than running from the police on Corneria or fighting against Jax Taylor and the occupation forces on Aquas, but, still...

Phoenix stopped for a second and stared out over the bubbling ocean at the clouded horizon.

_Zoness? Seriously?_

"Just shoot me in the leg again," Phoenix muttered under his breath as he resumed walking.

* * *

In a half-hour's time, the pair arrived at the destination. The small ocean-side city seemed to make its industry from shipping and aquatic farming... at least, it _used _to. Now the entire city lay in ruins; the waters that lapped against the docks were the color of toxins, the buildings were covered in grime and soot, bags of trash littered the alleyways, and, to Phoenix's horror, carcasses of rotting flesh lay strewn across the streets. Whatever Andross had done to ruin the city, the civilians were hit without warning.

Krystal lead the way through the decaying streets, searching their surroundings for an ideal location. After a bit of walking, she finally decided on a three-way intersection bordered on one side by a several-story parking garage. At the crossing of the three roads was a large rusting trailer, which Krystal deemed a good location to hide the beacon. To Phoenix's disappointment, the "beacon" she had spoken of before was merely her wrist comm; she had programmed it to constantly broadcast its position once activated. He had been hoping for Krystal to reveal a more impressive gizmo that would perform the function.

Removing her wrist comm and pressing a button on its side, Krystal dropped it into the trailer's window. "Now that we set up the beacon, we need to hunker down and wait for whoever gets here first. If it's Falco and Slippy, great. If it's the pirates, well... we may have to do some fighting." Turning around and gesturing to the garage, she continued, "That'll serve as the perfect vantage point. We can see them coming down the street, have a height advantage, and plenty of cover if they fire back and come in after us."

She started off towards the garage's staircase, but then stopped mid-stride and turned towards Phoenix. Stepping closer and glaring at him, she growled, "Please tell me you know how to use a gun."

Phoenix raised his hands defensively. "Er, well, they're illegal on Corneria except on shooting ranges and hunting parks... so, no, I've never had the chance to use one."

Krystal backed off and rolled her eyes knowingly. "Figures. Well, you have a few hours at least to learn before they show up. Think you can become a pro in that time?"

Phoenix took a deep breath and slowly released it, nervously. "Sure. Why not?"

"That's more like it, lion-heart!" Drawing one of her silver pistols, Krystal grabbed it by the handle and held it out to Phoenix. But before he could accept it, she pulled it back and raised a finger. "Hold up a minute. Before I let you use it, there are some preliminary rules you have to agree to. God, I can't believe I didn't teach you this stuff back on the _Great Fox. _Well, I'll teach you what I can with the time we have now, and we'll pick up where we leave off when we return to the ship."

"So... rules?" Phoenix prompted her.

"Right. First, this is _my _gun. Remember that. Don't drop it. Don't get it dirty. Don't get it sweaty with your hands. Hold it like you would a baby. I had this gun found in an old weapons cache that had never been opened in several hundred years. This and its pair are from the glory days where criminals used bullets instead of lasers and did things the proper way. After the dealer recovered them, he had them custom engraved for me, which nearly doubled their price. Plus, these guns and me have been together a long time. We've got some history; I'd hate to see an old friend bite the dust."

"You can't have had them _that _long. Come on, you're like in your... what, early twenties?"

Krystal glared at him like a viper. "Mind your own business. My age has got nothing to do with it. Now, rule number two: be careful where you point it. Don't aim it at yourself, our teammates, allies, or neutrals. But, most importantly, don't aim it at me. Everything else is secondary, and I honestly won't mind if you accidentally shoot yourself. If rules one and two come into conflict, obey rule number one; if a freak situation arises, shoot yourself or someone else to avoid getting the guns dirty."

"What!? When would I ever have to – "

"Rule number three: always keep the gun with you at all times. Keep it in an ideal spot you can reach on a moment's notice. If on the battlefield, it should never leave your hands. If in public, a concealed spot that you can easily get to. Rule four, be sure to always count how many shots you have in your current... actually, I'll just tell you the rest later. You'll pick them up as we go, and I think some actual field work will do you some good. I apologize if I sounded like one of your college professors."

Finally, Krystal handed the gun to Phoenix, who gingerly accepted it. Instead of immediately giving him instructions, Krystal stepped back and let Phoenix have some space. At first he weighed the gun in his hands, then examined it from all sides. The first thing he noticed was a string of unintelligible symbols engraved on the flat side of the sleek barrel. He couldn't place them from the various languages found in the Lylat; they seemed to be a form of hieroglyphs, but they were too elegant to be compared to the haphazard kanji of Zoness. Next, he paid attention to the knobs and mechanisms such as the safety, magazine release, and trigger. Eventually, he held it in one hand, extended his arm, and stared down its sights.

"Hold up," Krystal said, stopping him, "You're doing it wrong."

"I haven't even done anything yet!" Phoenix exclaimed.

"Yes you did. You have to use both hands; right hand on the trigger, left hand to steady it."

"Actually I was just imitating you."

"I'm flattered," Krystal said, sarcastically. "You're right, I only use one hand to fire. It allows me to move faster and use both guns at the same time. But I started out using both hands when I was learning to use a blaster. Sure, maybe you'll graduate from gun kindergarten, but for now, use both hands."

"Alright," Phoenix agreed. Placing his left hand over his right, he once again lined up the sights and slowly pointed the gun around the intersection, looking for a target.

"How about the stop sign on the opposite corner?" Krystal suggested, arms crossed. "Aim as close to the center as possible, and be ready for a kick."

Phoenix closed his left eye and stared down the sights at the red stop sign. It was certainly big enough, and was only about five yards away. Aiming at the center of the white lettering, he took a deep breath to calm his nerves and loosened his grip on the gun to reduce the shaking. After a couple seconds, he pulled the trigger, and the gun bucked upwards in his hands. A loud bang echoed down the streets and hurt Phoenix's alert ears. Opening both eyes and slightly lowering the gun, he searched the stop sign for a bullet hole.

To his surprise, he had managed to land his first shot, though he had only barely managed to hit the top of the sign.

"Nice one, lion-heart," Krystal congratulated him. "You let the gun kick a bit too much, which resulted in the bullet flying too high. It would have been even higher if you weren't aiming too low to begin with. But hey, if you were shooting at someone, they'd be dead."

"Well that's reassuring to know," Phoenix said, nervously. "I guess..." He had expected Krystal to get uncomfortably close to him in order to help him hold the gun properly and aim better, but she continued to keep her distance and observe him. _This isn't a movie, after all, _he told himself.

"Try shooting it some more," Krystal urged him.

"Sure. But shouldn't we conserve ammo? You can't possibly carry around enough for both of us."

To answer him, Krystal pulled aside her leather jacket from her torso and revealed numerous ammo clips attached to her gun belt.

Phoenix whistled in awe. "Wow. You sure pack a lot of ammo. But uh... couldn't you make room for a little food next time?"

"'Man cannot live by bread alone.' Go on, empty the magazine into the sign. I've got plenty to spare."

"How many bullets does it have?"

"Ten. It's a custom Beretta 92, if you cared. But you wouldn't know what that means, would you?" She asked, doubtfully. When Phoenix shook his head, she sighed. "Well, I'll fix that eventually."

Nodding, Phoenix turned his attention back to his firing practice.

After fifteen minutes, he had emptied the contents of the magazine into the sign, pausing in between shots to listen to advice and take pointers from Krystal. By the end of it, the blue vixen seemed satisfied with his lesson, and replaced the empty magazine in his gun with a full one.

"Don't fire these until they arrive, okay?"

Phoenix nodded silently in response, then followed Krystal as she set out for the parking garage. Though the sun had never been visible on the desolate planet, it was clear it had dropped below the horizon, as the skeletal shadows cast from the ruined buildings became larger. In the inky darkness of the garage's interior, Phoenix realized just how inferior his eyes were when compared to Krystal's; he was forced to rely fully on the sound of her footsteps to proceed through dark garage.

Eventually they came upon a flight of stairs that lead up to the second level. Phoenix clumsily made his way up by scrapping his boots against the side of each new step and holding onto the slimy railing. Once at the top, he hurriedly wiped his hand off on his pants and hurried forwards to catch up with Krystal. He joined her at the concrete wall that kept drunk drivers from flooring their hover-cars off onto the street below, and surveyed their position. Their vantage point gave the pair of vulpines a clear view of the trailer, intersection, and all three streets that formed the junction below.

Hopping up onto the wide ledge, the Cerinian crouched and faced down the road running parallel to the parking garage. She gestured with her head for Phoenix to join her on the ledge. "Come on. You watch the right side, and I'll scan the left. Always keep the perpendicular street as well as the garage interior in your periphery, and remember to check both spots often. That way, they can't sneak up on us."

Reluctantly, Phoenix climbed up onto the ledge and faced the opposite direction, conscious of Krystal's controlled breathing behind his back, almost imperceptible even in the silence of the abandoned city. He tried to slow his own breath, but he couldn't relax because of the twenty foot drop just a few inches from his right side.

The two vulpines never spoke a word between the two as they searched their respective sectors, eyeing each nook, cranny, and shadow. As night fell, a shadow continued to descended upon the city, and with it an uncomfortable chill in the air. While Slippy had seen to it he receive a new set of clothes (after he had torn the hem of his shirt and received a bullet hole in his pant leg,) his current white dress shirt and blue jeans did little to insulate him from the cold. The only place worse than Zoness would be Fichina, but Phoenix couldn't see any reason the Hunting Party would ever pay the planet a visit.

Finally, breaking the silence, he asked, "Uh, it's getting kind of cold."

Krystal grunted.

Annoyed that he had to continue, Phoenix added, "Shouldn't we build a fire, or something?"

"Are you, what... retarded?" Krystal chastised him. "If we lit a fire, they'd see its smoke from a mile away. And there's still the glow to worry about, as well as the possibility it could show up as a heat source on thermals. _If_ we were to light a fire, it would be down there next to the beacon. And we'd still be as cold as heaven during the winter up here."

"I see," Phoenix sighed, disheartened. He'd make a note to get warmer clothes, or at least a jacket.

The resulting awkward pause was broken by the sound of Krystal's shorts dragging against the concrete wall as she scooted back towards him. Phoenix was surprised when she leaned against his back and said, "We'll support each other. That way, we won't fall asleep while retaining body heat. It's not a fire, but it'll do."

Phoenix's spine froze as stiff as a metal rod when she leaned against him, but he slowly loosened up and let her support him as well. As her back pressed against his, he felt a little self conscious. Her head came up to where his was, so he assumed they were about equal height. Phoenix had always been on the short side; it wasn't until college that he began to outgrow the girls in his class... or at least _match _their height.

Phoenix mentally shook his head. He was on the ruined planet of Zoness, millions of miles away from his own planet in the company of a ruthless bounty hunter, yet he was engaged in such a menial pastime as measuring his eligibility with her. At least she couldn't read his thoughts.

"Guess again, dipshit."

Phoenix started, but was careful not to change his position. "You... you can read minds?"

"And you can state the obvious. Here, try this; think of a number."

The number "42" immediately entered his mind, but he shoved it aside because he used it too much. Instead, he chose "68", picturing the two digits in his head and repeating them to himself with his inner narration voice.

"104," Krystal stated, flatly.

"Whew," Phoenix said, letting out a pent-up breath. "You had me convinced for a second. The real number was – "

"42, then 68. I know. I was just joking."

"But... wha... how did you learn to do that?" Phoenix stuttered. "Or were you just born that way? I remember the urban legends saying you were the psychic on the team, but I just dismissed it as a bunch of rumors."

"Well it's not. I was originally born on the planet Cerinia. I'm a – "

"Wait, Cerinia's a real planet? It actually exists?" Phoenix interrupted, exited.

"'Course it does. How many foxes with blue fur have you seen in your lifetime? And it's not dyed, either. Cerinians naturally have blue fur. But if you let that distract you too much, we'll get you with our real weapon; psychic abilities."

"What can you do?" Phoenix asked, "Besides reading minds, I mean."

"I can experience feelings other people feel, like an empath. But that's really just another form of mind reading. I can also predict the future occasionally, if something big enough happens. It's not controllable, nor is it consistent, but it's saved my hide many times."

Phoenix had doubts about his next question, but he just had to know. "What... what happened to it? Cerinia, I mean."

Krystal sighed, and was silent for a minute. "It was destroyed. I didn't know what was going on at the time – I was only ten. Later I found out that Andross had probably destroyed the planet in an attempt to resurrect himself, much like he nearly did on Sauria. Regardless, as far as I know, I was the only one to make it off the planet alive."

"That... must have been tough," Phoenix commented in a sympathetic voice, "Leaving your home at such a young age. I can't imagine myself going through the same situation. How did you do it? Where'd you go?"

"I somehow managed to make it to Sauria, though to this day I am not sure how. I survived seven years there with no one but oversized reptiles to talk to and fight with, as well as having to cope with carnivorous wildlife."

Phoenix shifted uncomfortably. "I always thought of Sauria as more of a tourist destination, the way some of the rich kids in my class vacationed to Aquas in the winter."

Krystal audibly scoffed, spitting over the ledge and into the street below. "It may look like a vacation spot, but it's a hell in disguise. Remember this; hell comes in all shapes and sizes, lion-heart – and I am one of them."

The vixen reached back and swatted Phoenix over his head to drive her point home. "But I'll tell you something; being forced to survive on your own in the wilderness does things to a girl. When you've repeatedly lost everyone you could love and rely on, you finally see the dark clouds between you and the sun. Oh, they may part for a moment, but it's only to tease something you don't have and never will get. Realizing this fact changed my life and made me how I am. It is the single most enlightening realization you will ever have. And, truthfully, I'm thankful for it. It's a necessary change."

Phoenix lowered his head and stared at the concrete between his legs, saddened by Krystal's soliloquy.

"I don't think you needed to," he finally ventured.

Krystal scoffed again, this time falling into a series of hacking coughs brought on by Zoness' terrible atmosphere. "Really?" she asked, voice soaked in sarcasm. "Then maybe you think I should have died out there. At least I have more courage and strength than you'll ever have."

The Cerinian's words stung Phoenix to the core, and he cursed himself for speaking up. Still, no matter what she claimed, a voice in the young vulpine's head kept repeating to himself, _wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong wrong wrong._

In the silence that followed, Phoenix eventually heard the flare of a lighter behind him, and noticed a dim, orange glow light the concrete ledge and wall in front of him. To Phoenix's surprise, however, Krystal hurriedly closed her lighter and mashed her cigarette tip against the wall. Sliding off the ledge, she pulled Phoenix with her into the shadows of the garage interior before poking her head back up.

As Phoenix raised his head above the ledge as well, he asked, "What is it? Do you see anyone?"

Krystal nodded. Whispering back, she said, "I saw someone run across the middle road. The little bastard's hiding now, but he's there. Wait..." Krystal's eyes darted down the road on the right. "He's got backup."

"They're trying to surround us," Phoenix observed. Looking down the road he was in charge of watching, he noticed another figure slinking towards their beacon. "Someone's coming down this street as well. Several people, I think. What do we do?"

Unhooking a grenade from her belt, Krystal nervously rolled it back and forth in her palms. Phoenix noticed that her grenade, like her guns, was outdated and rather old-fashioned, as it relied upon conventional explosives instead of a laser pulse. "This should take care of the first three, as long as they check on the trailer at the same time. I think I can lob it through the sun roof, if my aim is good enough. Once I do, run over to the pillar on your left and stay behind cover as much as possible. We'll hold them off as long as we can, then retreat to the roof if they come after us."

"The _roof?_" Phoenix asked skeptically. "Won't they trap us in?"

"There's not that many of them," Krystal assured him, grinning. "After the first three, there's only about ten more. We can take 'em. The roof is also the best spot for Slippy to pick us up with the _Great Fox. _We have to defend one area, or Froggers won't know where to find us. I'm using my wrist comm as the beacon, remember?"

"Oooh, you're right," Phoenix admitted, watching the dark forms stealthily approach the trailer below them. "You all should have gotten me one. I am an honorary member, after all."

"Alright already! Shut up and get behind that pillar!" Krystal hissed as she shoved him in the landmark's general direction.

Phoenix stumbled forward, making sure to stay below the concrete wall as he crawled over to the pillar. Once he had reached his position, the vulpine slowly stood up and cautiously poked his head around the support. Opposite him, Krystal was also peaking into the street, keeping her eyes glued to the three pirates sent ahead to scout their assumed location. Phoenix felt his gut churning from anxiety with each step they took towards the empty trailer. The first hunter scurried to the door on the side of the mobile home, while the remaining two assumed positions in front of the larger rear exit.

As Krystal caught her breath, the first pirate, a mere shadow in the dark city, waved his hand and signaled the attack. As one, the pirates ripped open the rusted metal doors and stormed into the trailer. Not wasting another second, Krystal stepped out into the ambient light of the night sky, pulled the grenade's pin viciously with her teeth, and lobbed it at the trailer. As Phoenix held his breath, the small black grenade sailed out into the intersection and landed perfectly in the trailer's sun roof. Tossing her remaining gun from her left hand to her right, Krystal didn't even wait to open fire on the other pirates who stood carelessly out in the open. Two were taken down before the alarm was raised, and the leader ordered his men to find cover. But, by then, they had other problems to worry about.

Before they could return fire, an explosion rocked the intersection and parking garage as the trailer exploded. Scraps of metal flew in every direction like shrapnel as a bright orange ball of flame illuminated the streets below. The force from the explosion knocked any enemies in the nearby vicinity off their feet, allowing Krystal to easily pick more off. The remaining six pirates dove for cover behind other cars or piles of debris that littered the streets, hurriedly returning fire.

As Krystal stepped back behind her pillar, Phoenix knew it was his turn to provide her cover. He knew all of their enemies were focused on Krystal, and had no inkling of his presence, so he took advantage of the situation. Cautiously rounding his pillar, he cocked the borrowed gun and took aim at the closest foe's position, just like he had practiced with the stop sign. Their enemies were now no longer clothed in shadow; instead, they were brightly lit up by the burning bits of wreckage that lay scattered about the street, giving shape to their forms. As he stared down the sights at his target, he identified him as a scraggly coyote. Now that he was able to see his enemy's face, Phoenix hesitated, finger frozen over the trigger.

Who was he kidding. He could never kill anyone. Not like the Cornerian soldiers, or Star Fox, the great heroes of old, or like Krystal, the cold-blooded killer. He couldn't even defend himself against the deranged cannibal in the bathroom of the Yellow Jack, so how could he do it now? What really separated the pirates attacking him from the members of the Hunting Party? Was there really any difference?

_Of course there is, _Phoenix answered himself. _They're my friends now. They're _my _teammates, and I owe them. _

Taking careful aim with his gun, he instead aimed at the mirror of the hover-car behind which the coyote was hiding. Though he resolved himself not to kill any of the pirates, he would at least keep them from firing at Krystal while she took them out herself. Once again, a little voice sounded like a muted siren in Phoenix's mind, repeating _wrong, wrong, wrong, _over and over again; he was leaving all the dirty work to a woman... a girl.

Before the pirate could fire at Krystal, Phoenix pulled the trigger and put a bullet in the hover-car's mirror directly beside the pirate's head. The coyote did as he expected, and ducked down while at the same time scanning for the bullet's owner. As he warned his companions of the second attacker, Krystal took the chance to shout to him, "That was pretty nice! Keep at it and you might actually hit him!"

"I'm not trying to hit him!" Phoenix resolutely stated.

"Are you kidding me, lion-heart?!" Krystal demanded. "Don't freeze up this time like you did at the bar! These are ruthless killers! They started it, and they'll kill you if you don't kill them first! Just aim at their heads and pull the trigger!"

"Sorry, can't do that, Krystal," Phoenix firmly replied. Taking aim at another pirate about to take a shot at Krystal, Phoenix fired a bullet into the pile of rubble near the enemy's torso. "As long as I keep them from firing, we'll be fine."

As Krystal took stock of the streets below, she noticed two pirates dart out from cover and slip into the bottom level of the garage.

"DAMMIT, PHOENIX!" she yelled as she jumped out from behind her cover and unloaded as many shots as she could at the remaining pirates, placing another enemy out of the skirmish for good. "WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO LEARN HOW TO KILL!?"

Worried that Krystal might place a bullet in _his_ head next, Phoenix stumbled back. In a furious rage, Krystal grabbed his arm and pulled him with her as she started off in a sprint. "Come on," she spat, "We're falling back to the roof."

The two vulpines hurried in silence to the flight of stairs that lead to the upper levels. It was the same staircase that the pirates would be using, so they had to make all haste to beat them to it. As they took the stairs three at a time, Phoenix could swear he heard the echoing of the pirates' footsteps just behind their heels.

Once they reached the top, Krystal threw Phoenix onto the open roof, and he sprawled painfully on the hardened concrete. Whirling to face backwards, Krystal took cover behind a steel power unit and aimed at the top of the steps. The first pirate recklessly ran out onto the roof, only to find a bullet in his gut. The rest of the group stayed back, remaining in the shadows of the dark stairwell. Krystal cursed as she quickly reloaded and released a new volley of lead into the black opening that poured out onto the roof. All Phoenix could do was scurry for cover behind the same unit Krystal was using.

Just when it was looking like the pirates were going to push out, a loud vibration began to emanate through every atom that made up the ruined city. Looking up, Phoenix was relieved to see the bright light of the _Great Fox's _engines descend from the sky, dispelling the thick layer of clouds that endlessly covered the sky. It took no time for Slippy, or whoever was at the controls of the massive dreadnaught, to comprehend the situation. The lumbering mother-ship slowly descended until its front hangar was level with the roof of the garage.

Grabbing her other gun from Phoenix's hands, Krystal ordered, "Run to the ship! I'll cover your backside." With both guns in hand, Krystal dove out of their cover and began running parallel to the stairwell. Following her command, Phoenix sprinted towards the slowly opening hangar doors. Falco was there to greet him, his streamlined avian silhouette framed against the blinding white light of the hangar's interior. He was in a crouching position, a sniper rifle nestled in his shoulder and a scope pressed against his eye. After Phoenix leapt across the gap between the roof of the garage and the hangar floor, Falco spit out a cigarette stub from his beak and pulled the precision rifle's trigger, resulting in a powerful _crack _and a dull thud from the darkness that shrouded the stairwell. The bounty-hunter had hit his target.

Lowering the rifle, Falco shouted, "Krystal! What are you waiting for? Get in here now!"

As Falco covered her from the opposite side of the roof, Krystal turned her back on the pirates to put all of her focus into making a swift dash to the _Great Fox. _Before she even reached the hangar, Slippy began pulling away from the garage's roof, but he seemed to know Krystal's abilities. Though the gap between ship and building grew increasingly larger, the Cerinian vulpine took a running leap and gracefully cleared the jump, landing in a kneeling position as the gates closed behind her, locking out the darkness, stench, and danger of Zoness.

As the female bounty hunter rose to her feet, Falco asked, "Hey, did you bring the bank numbers?" but she shoved him aside in order to get to Phoenix.

Jabbing an accusing finger into the middle of his chest, she growled, "What is wrong with you? I know you're a far cry from an expert gunman, but you could have killed a couple of them if you wanted to!"

Phoenix struggled to keep from falling backwards. "I did everything short of killing them! Look, maybe you and Falco are able to shoot people without a second thought, but I can't do that! I just... even if they are murderers themselves, they're... _real_..."

"So you... what?" Krystal continued to berate him, "Rely on me to do all of the actual work? One of us has got to keep this team safe, but you can at least pull your own weight!" Then, getting right in his face and glaring daggers into him with her emerald eyes, she added, "If you ever want to truly be a part of this team, _lion-heart, _you had better start killing people like the rest of us have to. Get. Used. To. It."

Coming to Phoenix's rescue, Falco grabbed a hold of Krystal's arm and pulled her back. "Hey, Krystal, lay off of him. He's right, you know. He's not at our point yet, the point were he can take a life without any guilt. It takes time, alright? Even you know that. So leave him alone."

Krystal turned her fiery eyes upon Falco, but, when she met his cold gaze as well, she stopped. Shoving his hand off her arm, she turned her back on both of them and stormed out of the hangar without a word.

Turning to face Phoenix, Falco awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Hey, don't mind Krystal. She gets pretty disagreeable when things don't go her way."

"Actually, I'm kinda used to it now," Phoenix admitted.

"Yeah, well..." Falco sheepishly stared at the ground, eyes darting over the metal-plated flooring. "Look, Phoenix... maybe taking you on the team wasn't such a good idea after all. I was... well... _drunk _when I said you could join, but Krystal kept me to my word. If you ever want to return to Corneria, just ask, and I'll see to it you get there. Just... think about it."

Phoenix felt his heart sinking. "Thanks, but I'd like to wait this out. I rather stay on a while. I... I'd actually like for this to work."

"Well, if you want to stay on the team, you'll have to get used to stuff like this. Trust me, you haven't seen the worst of Krystal. And she's right. You will eventually have to kill someone, whether you like it or not. Again, it's not too late. You can quit before you have to."

Phoenix looked down as well, studying the floor. The sound of Krystal's voice echoed through his head; the sound of anger, and the sound of disappointment. Wanting to change that was all that kept him going. That and the little voice that repeated _wrong, wrong, wrong..._

"No, I'm sure," Phoenix said, gathering the courage to look up and meet Falco's eyes. "I'll see this through."

* * *

**A/N: I could have split this arc into two different chapters like I've done previously, but I didn't plan on it being so long in the first place; I wanted it to be more of a contained episode, so splitting it up would have broken the flow. Maybe if it was over 7,000 words, I would have, but 6,000's in the gray area, ****so what the heck, I'll leave it be.**


	7. Drawbar

**Chapter 7: Drawbar**

* * *

"Let's play a game," Krystal began.

The Cerinian vixen heaved a military green chest of bullets onto the coffee table at the center of the _Great Fox's _recreation room.

Eying the steel container from a safe distance, Phoenix stammered, "Th-that doesn't look like my type of game."

"What? You've never played Russian-roulette?" Krystal asked, producing an antique revolver even older than her own outdated pistols. "Not even with a BB gun?"

"It's an old tradition we have," Falco said, plopping down on the couch next to Krystal. "Kinda like Thanksgiving football, only more often."

Slipping a red-and-gold-colored bullet into the revolver, Krystal spun the cylinder and snapped it back in place with a quick motion. Offering the gun handle-first to Phoenix, she asked teasingly, "Wanna play?"

"Uh, n-no thanks," he answered.

Krystal withdrew the gun and tossed it to Falco, who suggested, "Maybe you should have told him the bullets are just blanks. And they aren't your average blanks, either. Those would still do some real damage from point blank range. These, on the other hand, just make a bang and don't go anywhere."

"You may never have played it yourself," Krystal continued, "But you still know how it's done, right? Six rounds, one bullet, give it a little spin, then take turns aiming at your head and pulling the trigger. Loser gets a little scare, and that's all. Falco here's a real screamer; screams like a little girl most of the time."

"At least I have all the luck," Falco bragged, palming the revolver.

"Are you joking?" Krystal asked, scoffing. "You shot yourself the last four times we played, and you even tried to cheat the last time! The only luck you have is bad luck."

"Yeah, well, maybe karma's on my side now."

"Are you _sure _those are all blanks?" Phoenix asked, still worried.

Falco raised the gun to his temple, pulling the hammer back. "Of course I am! Watch."

A bright flash erupted from the barrel and a loud bang resounded through the recreation room like a peal of thunder. Falco's head snapped back before his body fell to the floor, dropping the revolver in the process. Krystal grabbed her stomach as she burst out laughing and fell backwards over the sofa. Phoenix had jumped to his feet at the sound of the blank and placed his hands over his chest, attempting to calm his increased heart rate. As Krystal lay shaking with laughter on the floor, Phoenix stared at Falco's body under the coffee table, which showed no signs of movement.

"Uh... is he okay?" Phoenix ventured, voice quivering in anxiety.

When Krystal managed to rope in her laughter, she answered, "He's just screwing with you. I just can't get over the fact that it worked out so perfectly! He must have known I set the bullet to the first round. That was priceless!"

"He's still not moving..."

Krystal stood up and waved him off. "Ah, he's just waiting for you to check his body so he can jump up and freak you out." The vixen climbed over the sofa and knelt down beside Falco. "But he's not going to get you this time. Come on you lazy feather-brain, get up."

She rolled over the falcon's body, revealing a dark red hole in the side of his temple and a puddle of blood pooling on the carpeted floor.

"Holy shit," Krystal whispered. She hurriedly jumped up, knocking over the coffee table and ammo case in the process, then stumbled over herself to get away from Falco's limp body. The glass top of the table crashed onto the floor, and the ammo case opened scattered bullets everywhere.

"Did he actually shoot himself?" Phoenix asked, panicking.

"I don't get it," Krystal muttered in a lowered voice. "It was the right chest, the caps were colored red and everything, it's just not possible, unless – "

At that moment, Slippy rounded the corner and entered the room. "Hey guys. Did Falco lose again?"

The amphibian first looked at Phoenix, who didn't move a muscle, then at Krystal, who pointed a shaky finger at Falco's body.

Confused, the mechanic stepped over to the overturned coffee table and had a look. When the realization hit him, he too stumbled back. "No way, it can't be... no-no-no-no-no, this can't happen! How did this happen?! You remembered to use blanks... right?"

"I did," Krystal whimpered. Then, she raised her voice and screamed, "I SWEAR I DID – I CHECKED AND EVERYTHING! THERE'S NO REASON HE SHOULD BE DEAD NOW! TELL ME WHY, WHY IS HE DEAD!?"

Slippy took off his cap and wiped his shiny head. "Alright, look, there's got to be a reason for this, there must be some explanation, just calm down, okay?"

But Krystal didn't calm down. She pointed an accusing finger at Slippy. "You... you were the last one to handle the blanks, weren't you?"

"Hmm? Well... I guess, but what does that have to do with – "

"You were the one who collected the new shipment, painted them, and placed them in the chest, right?"

As Krystal crawled over to Falco's side and grabbed the discharged revolver next to him, Slippy spluttered, "Yeah, so? That doesn't mean I messed it up, right? We haven't touched the chest for a couple months at least! I didn't mess anything up! Our sellers probably just slipped us a live one by accident! It happens, you know?"

But Krystal wasn't listening; her psychotic mode had been activated.

Picking one of the bullets from the floor, she loaded the revolver and pointed it at Slippy, paw trembling. "I don't know Slippy. Was it really only one? Do you want to put it to the test?"

Slippy raised his hands and backed away. "Hey, whoa there! Take it easy! I'm pretty sure it was only one defect, but there could be more! I don't want to take that chance, I never play Russian roulette! I – "

"WHY DID YOU KILL FALCO!" the mad bounty huntress screamed before pulling the trigger.

A second shot rang out in the _Great Fox's _recreation room, and Slippy staggered backwards, clutching his belly. As blood poured from his wound, the frog collapsed to the ground with a thud, lifeless.

Krystal was the next to hit the ground, clutching the warm revolver in her shaking paws and struggling to hold back tears. She lay there for several minutes, attempting to make sense of what had just happened. _It was Slippy's fault... wasn't it? He's the one who always handles the blanks and ammo, so it must have been his mistake. He was the one who killed Falco, not me, not me, he brought his own death on himself, not me, 'course it wasn't me, he deserved it, he killed himself._

Wiping her moist eyes and sniffing, Krystal rose to her knees and turned to face Phoenix. "I'm... I'm sorry you had to see this, Phoenix, everything was going so well. I... I had hoped you would – "

But Phoenix was gone.

Looking around the room frantically, Krystal asked, "Phoenix? Where are you? Phoenix!"

As if in answer, all the lights in the recreation room went out, as well as those in the hall leading into it, and those in the rest of the _Great Fox_, for all she could tell. The room fell into complete darkness, leaving Krystal alone with the sound of her ragged breaths and beating heart. Then, after a few tense seconds, the emergency lights came on, flashing red strobes across the steal walls.

"PHOENIX, WHERE ARE YOU!?" Krystal shouted, beginning to lose her mind.

Suddenly, a voice echoed throughout the room that came from the internal comm system. _"__Phoenix... was never here," _it claimed.

Krystal slowly stood up. Something was wrong; it had sounded like Phoenix's voice, but it was different – not that it was unknown to her. In fact, it was more familiar than Phoenix's voice, though she hadn't heard it in several years.

The bounty-huntress went for the nearest comm speaker, nearly slipping on a pile of loose ammo shells on the way. Pressing the talk button, she demanded, "Phoenix, is that you? What the hell do you think you're doing?"

_"__Are you deaf? I just said Phoenix __doesn't exist – he never did__. __Your imaginary friend isn't who you think he is."_

The speaker had to be nearby; he must have heard her calling to have been able to answer her, as the comms weren't activated yet.

Pushing herself off the wall, Krystal stumbled to the door of the recreation room and poked her head through it, checking both up and down the hallway just outside. She was forced to wait for the emergency lights to cycle through a couple times before she was sure no one was there. At the moment, she had no clue who the newcomer was. If she understood him correctly, he was actually Phoenix, or at least had _pretended _to be. Whoever he was, she didn't trust him. Falco was dead, Slippy, too; she had no more attachment to the ship, no one else to look out for but herself. While her curiosity itched to reveal the identity of the unseen animal, and her burning anger yearned to avenge her dead friends, Krystal's instincts got the better of her... and her instincts said _run._

Drawing one of her Beretta pistols, she held the gun beside her head and kept her left hand against the wall to steady her movement in the darkened hallway. Though her emerald eyes normally excelled at piercing the shadow, the constant flashing of red warning lights did not allow her pupils to adjust.

As she crept through the hallways of the _Great Fox _as fast as she dared, Krystal began to realize the weight of her present situation. Both of her only friends in the System were dead, dead by her own hand. And Phoenix, the young fox she had begun to take in as a friend, was not who she thought he was. He had betrayed her, stabbed her in the back, the way it always seemed to go. The little bastard – whoever he was – had probably planned the whole thing. The deaths of Falco, Slippy, and now... her own. To make matters worse, Krystal was trapped in a metal can fifty million kilometers from the nearest planet or station, completely alone except for an unknown assailant who was out to kill her.

Krystal was never this scared in her life.

Right now her only course of action was to make for the hangar and get off the ship. To do that, she would have to buy a little time or at least keep her stalker entertained. When she came across the next comm node en route to the hangar, she activated it. Though she tried to hide it, she was strained for breath and far from a little worried.

"Hey, I d-don't know what your deal is, but what have you done with Phoenix?"

The voice wasted no time in answering. _"Phoenix was merely a persona of mine. I used him as a sheepskin to sneak into the flock, a disguise to win your trust and get into your ship."_

"Then who are you really? Another bounty hunter? An assassin? Who's paying you, and who wants us dead?"

_"__It's simple, really. _I_ want you dead. No one sent me. No one's paying me. It's all my own __initiative__."_

"But who are you? Why are you after us?"

"Isn't that the question..."

Krystal jumped and spun around. The voice was now immediately behind her, coming from a figure cloaked in shadow at the end of the hallway. The warning lights flashed, revealing a pair of deadly eyes and a standard blaster all aimed directly at her. For a second, his eyes reflected the bright red lights, sending a chill down Krystal's spine.

Once again acting on instinct, the Cerinian knelt down and fired her gun at the stalker, but the warning lights flashed off, and he disappeared.

Rising to her feet, mouth hanging open in a horrified expression, Krystal stumbled backwards until she found the wall again, then broke out into a mad sprint in the opposite direction.

After a few exhilarating seconds, she ran face first into the metal hangar door. Stomach churning, pulse racing, and panting wildly, Krystal fumbled with the hatch, but it refused to turn. Though she threw all of her weight against the lock and pushed her muscles to the snapping point, it wouldn't budge.

_Open, dammit, _she cursed inwardly.

It was too late; she heard the footsteps of the stalker coming around the corner, and her hands froze against the door winch, gripped with fear.

As she turned her head to face him, Krystal heard the sound of the blaster cock.

"You have no idea how long I have waited for this moment, how many humiliations I put myself through to get to this point... once again."

Phoenix – or what looked like Phoenix – rounded the corner and leveled his gun at her, grinning teeth glinting in the dim light.

"Wh-who are you?" Krystal stammered, pointing her own shaking gun at him.

"Isn't it obvious?" he snickered. "You three pretend to have forgotten about me, yet that memory is why you chose Phoenix in the first place... isn't it?"

Krystal shook her head violently, eyes widening. "No... no, it isn't true! You're supposed to be... you can't be..."

"Oh, I assure you, Fox McCloud isn't that easy to kill, though you were so quick to abandon me, just like Falco and Slippy. Yes, I created Phoenix to befriend you and show you what it feels like to be betrayed, to make your dreams come true, and then wake you up to a nightmare. That's why I saved you for last, Krystal; so you could truly experience the nightmare!"

Krystal couldn't take it anymore. She screamed, but was cut off immediately by the peel of a blaster shot, and what little light remained in her world faded away.

* * *

**A/N: Published April 1st.**


	8. Mark The Graves Part 1: Shadow Moses

**Chapter 8: Mark the Graves**

**Part 1: Shadow Moses**

* * *

"It's alright Laurence; let them in."

Somehow, the quiet, broken voice emanating from behind the door was enough to rein in the imposing bodyguard standing in their way. Laurence, a tall ram whose horns were surely several inches over the legal length on most planets, grudgingly stepped out of their way and let the four teammates pass.

Falco, Krystal, and Slippy entered the poshly decorated room while Phoenix lagged behind hesitantly, still reluctant to take his place amongst the group. Even though he lived – well, _formerly _lived – in the richest suburbs on Corneria, he still had never been inside living quarters so luxuriant. In an age so obsessed with being on the cutting edge of technology and style, their patron's reception room was an unexpected throwback to the old ideals of the elite lifestyle; red carpet, intricately carved cherry oak wood furniture, crystal lamps, vases, and chandeliers, numerous oil paintings created without the help of computer software, and several weathered bookcases impossible to find in the new day and age. It was a setup that Phoenix had always dreamed of having, but had always dismissed; it was neither practical, efficient, or affordable, yet he envied its owner all the same.

The only thing out of place in the room besides the three – well, four – bounty hunters was a large reinforced glass window that stretched across the entire left wall of the receiving room. Phoenix would have assumed he was in a wealthy mansion back on Corneria, but the window opened out onto the sprite-like nebula of Sector Y, its ion dust glowing thousands of shades of blue, green, and yellow. Phoenix, who was still adjusting to a life outside his home planet, couldn't help but gawk at the iridescent nebula, mesmerized by its slowly changing colors. Silhouetted by the bright nebula was a gathering of space cruisers and colonies, one of many such groups that could be found throughout the Lylat System. Normally, the elites who formed the colonies would have preferred more exotic locations such as Fortuna or Aquas, but Phoenix had the feeling their prospective employer was not in the most ideal of situations.

Unexpectedly, Krystal stamped on his foot, causing Phoenix to clamp his mouth shut to stop from crying out. He turned his attention away from the window to a gray Siberian cat clothed in a pine green lounge rob. Their patron sat on a pair of large antique couches facing each other across a wooden coffee table. The feline was leaning forwards, resting his elbows on his knees and staring at several picture frames with their backs turned to the team. As the four members of The Hunting Party walked closer to him, he lifted his head, face showing signs of sleep loss and worry.

"Mr. Meinhard," Falco acknowledged as he halted in front of the unoccupied couch.

The Siberian cat nodded, gesturing to the couch opposite him. "Sit down, won't you?"

Falco and Slippy sat down immediately, but Phoenix politely waited for Krystal to take her seat before he did. When the vixen realized what Phoenix was doing, she glared at him before shoving him down onto the couch and nearly sitting on top of him in a huff. The troubled elite smiled weakly, then slid a champagne bottle and several glasses across the table towards them. "Treat yourselves," he added.

Falco reached for the bottle and a glass. "You claimed you had a job for us, Mr. Meinhard? An infiltration mission of some sort? You didn't say in your message."

The feline nodded, then rubbed his bloodshot eyes. "Yes, something along those lines. You see, my daughter was recently... she was killed. I just want her body back."

"So, it's not even a rescue mission?" Slippy asked as Falco handed him the champagne bottle, "You just need a dead body?"

"Yuck," Krystal spat in disgust. "That's borderline necrophilia if you ask me. What kind of a freak are you?"

Slippy shot her a glance full of daggers before trying to repair the damage. "There's nothing wrong with wanting a loved one's body back. It's perfectly understandable, and I'm sure you'd want to give her a proper burial, Mr. Meinhard, given your nostalgic ways." He was obviously referring to the decor of the room.

Falco took charge of the situation once again. "We'll try not to pry into your personal matters, but we'd like some more background information on the case before we get into the objectives. Fox example, how was your daughter kidnapped, who has her body now, and why won't they give it back?"

Meinhard nodded. "Fair enough. My daughter was kidnapped several months ago by a group of pirates. They took her to a hideout in Meteo and demanded a large sum of ransom money. I was all too ready to pay any price they asked, but the CDF interfered. They forced me to cooperate and let them handle everything. They insisted on a rescue mission so they could catch the criminals, but everything went to pot, and my daughter... They captured or killed all of the pirates, but, for some reason, they have refused to send me my daughter's body."

"Where do you think they're holding it now?"

"Naturally, I didn't trust the CDF, so I dispatched some agents to track her whereabouts. It seems they've traced her to some sort of morgue hidden in Fichina's icy wasteland. Beyond that, they couldn't tell me anything more, but recommended I hire mercenaries for an extraction. So... that's why I asked you here."

"Conditions for the reward?" Falco asked.

"All you have to do is bring me her body – as undamaged as possible. If you can do that, the payment will be fifty million credits, the amount the pirates originally demanded. However, if you fail to bring her back intact or at all... the reward will halved. I appreciate any effort you make, really."

"Sounds reasonable enough," Krystal admitted.

"And you'll have your agents transfer any data they have on the morgue to us?" Falco asked.

"I have all of the information on hand, but they'll take care of any other questions you may have. Here," he said as he rotated the photos around, "My daughter Kitty looks like this."

The framed photographs displayed several different scenes, all of which featured a young kitten who couldn't have been more than a child. Phoenix's heart was torn when he saw one of the pictures contain all three member of the family; Kitty, Mr. Meinhard, and even Mrs. Meinhard, who had the same snow-white fur as her daughter.

"Kitty's an albino Siberian cat, nine years of age. Probably not too hard to find in a morgue; I expect she would be rather hard to miss."

"What an adorable little brat," Krystal muttered, nose crinkling up.

"Do you have the contract?" Falco asked as he set his emptied champagne glass down.

"Yes, right here." The feline slid a manila folder across the table towards them. Falco opened it and removed a short document from the stack contained within. By the way he signed both copies of the contract and had previously handled the negotiations, Phoenix guessed he was the closest thing The Hunting Party had to a leader. For some reason, they were strangely tight-lipped about it, as if all of them were reluctant to fill the role.

Falco spun the second contract around and slid it back to Meinhard before slipping his copy into the folder. Picking up the mission file and standing up, Falco assured him, "Don't worry about a thing, sir; we'll have your daughter back in no time. You can depend on us."

Slippy, Krystal, and Phoenix immediately followed suit. As they moved to leave the room, Phoenix hesitated and turned back to the grieving feline. "Hey, uh... I'm sorry for your loss, Mr. Meinhard."

Their new employer met Phoenix's eyes for a moment and adopted an intrigued expression. "You're not a bounty hunter... are you?"

The question hit Phoenix like a punch to the stomach, and everything he was planning to say suddenly alluded him. He stared back at the feline, trying to come up with a response, but he couldn't find any. The elite's words had struck a chord, and accurately summed up all of Phoenix's feelings and fears about the recent events in his life.

Before he could come up with anything to say, Krystal grabbed ahold of his arm and dragged him out the room with the rest of the team.

Once they were outside the room, the door closed behind them.

"Geez, what a pathetic prick that guy wa – "

Falco elbowed Krystal in the ribs and jerked his head back towards the ram who stood guard at the door.

"Oh, hi Laurence," Krystal laughed awkwardly.

The bodyguard merely scowled in response, still enough to set the group of bounty hunters running around the corner.

Once they were well out of earshot, Krystal continued, "What a prick. He's just a sentimental old fool who can't keep from balling his eyes out over his precious little baby girl."

"I thought he was a really nice guy," Slippy mumbled, "For an elite."

Krystal scoffed. "Yeah, well it doesn't change the fact that he's loaded and privileged as crap. You all saw what I saw, right? That room was ridiculous; the carpet alone must have cost as much as the _Great Fox__!_And the way he fawns over his dead little brat... disgusting! The lengths he's going to to get her body back! He's negotiated with pirates, opposed the goddamn Cornerians, hired spies, and now _mercenaries!_ I can't believe how far he's going for a dead body!"

"You're one to talk," Falco spat.

Without warning, Krystal decked the unsuspecting avian hard in the jaw. The force from her punch sent him sprawling against a wall, and he slid down to the floor, stunned.

Without looking back, Krystal stormed off down the hall, hands shoved in her pockets and head down. Slippy gave Falco a hand up while Phoenix watched Krystal's back until she disappeared into the cruiser's hangar.

"What was that all about?" the vulpine asked.

Falco gingerly touched his face and winced. "Look, kid... mind your own business."

The azure falcon started walking towards the hangar, leaving Phoenix and Slippy behind. Phoenix gave the mechanic an inquisitive look, but the amphibian shook is head.

_Apparently, _he thought, _I'm not __gonna __get a__nything__ out of these guys at all._

* * *

Outside the bridge of the _Great Fox _was a wall of ice.

Phoenix shivered in the command room as he watched the violent current of wind, ice, and snow fly past the angular window. Slippy had shut off the lights in the bridge to improve visibility, and an eerie, faint blue light permeated the otherwise dark room. The howling wind sent chills down his spine, and the inability to discern any landmarks in the relentless Fichinan storm gave him a feeling of unease.

The feeling was not unique to him, however.

"You know the plan, Lionheart?" Krystal asked apprehensively.

"Of course I do," Phoenix answered. To him, it barely qualified as a "plan", and he wasn't even an experienced bounty hunter yet. Hijack a supply ship, disguise as friendlies, enter the morgue, grab the body, and sneak back. Either their plan wasn't completely ironed out, or Falco was simply withholding the details. Sure, their plan wasn't actually as simple as Phoenix had condensed it to, and he trusted that Falco had more data on the morgue, but he sure was tight-lipped about it. At least Phoenix didn't have to worry about any of the details; that was Falco's job. Having the operation rest on someone else's shoulders made it easier for Phoenix to relax. Perhaps Krystal was the same way; she merely did what she was told to do, and enjoyed it. Probably saw the operation as a chance to kill...

"I think I'm getting a signal," Slippy said as he placed a hand on his headset.

"It's gotta be them," Falco stated as he walked over to the mechanic's side. "No one else in their right mind would be this far north."

"Except us..." Phoenix muttered quietly to himself.

"Except us," Krystal agreed as she slapped him on the back.

"Alright, I'm tailing them now," Slippy notified them.

Stepping over to the amphibian's side, Phoenix asked, "How are you going to force them down? You can't even see them!"

Slippy tapped the computer monitor in front of him. "Obviously I'm not relying on visuals in this weather. I've latched onto their signal, now I just let autopilot take us to them. Once we get there, I can rely on sonar mapping to simulate what's going on out there. You know, so I can get on top of them and force the supply ship down." Next, Slippy pointed to a pinging blip on the monitor. "That's them. Hold on everyone, we're going to tackle the ship. Brace for impact."

Phoenix sat down in a nearby chair and reached for its seat belt, but Krystal grabbed his arm and jerked him out of it. "Come on," she growled, "We can watch from the windows. This ain't no commercial flight, Lionheart; you don't have to do everything the pilot tells you."

_You'd make a hell of a stewardess, _Phoenix thought as Krystal dragged him to the front window. Then, in a moment of panic, he prayed the vixen wasn't reading his mind.

Outside the front window was the same blizzard as always, constantly pelting the reinforced glass with pellets of ice and snow. As the two vulpines searched the frozen storm for any sign of their target, Phoenix caught a cluster of bright yellow lights rapidly approaching them.

"I see 'em."

"Well, if you don't want to sit down, at least grab onto something," Slippy warned.

The newest member of The Hunting Party looked around frantically for anything to support himself with, but it was too late. Slippy plunged the _Great Fox _forwards, directly towards the transport.

The two ships collided, jarring Phoenix off his feet. The _Great Fox _was now pressed against the top of the transport ship, bearing down on it with kilotons of force. As the searchlights of the _Great Fox _and supply ship flashed wildly in the blizzard, the featureless white ground grew closer and closer.

Falco grabbed a microphone and raised it to his beak. At this close a distance, there wouldn't be too much interference from the weather.

"To the occupants of transport ship FS-155, prepare to be boarded. We understand you have civilian workers aboard. For the safety of their lives, we ask that you do not resist and follow our demands; you will land immediately and allow us entrance to your ship. Disarm yourselves and group together at the opposite wall of the entrance. If you do not comply, we will forcefully ground your ship and gain entrance ourselves. You have been warned. Do you copy?"

Falco stopped broadcasting and listened to the static of the radio, but no answer came. The avian waved his hand. "Force them down, Slip."

The amphibian increased the output of the thrusters, pressing the _Great Fox _harder against the top of the transport ship. When Phoenix realized there would be a second impact, he scrambled for a nearby desk and braced himself against it.

Not seconds later, The Hunting Party's dreadnaught plowed the inferior transport vessel into the snow-covered ground, scattering snow in every direction and forging a long swath through the terrain as the ground slowed both ships to a stop.

After the bumpy ride, Phoenix struggled to his feet with shaking legs. He looked towards the front of the bridge, where Krystal's dark silhouette stood framed against the lighted flurry of snow outside, lithe, yet strong and unmoving. Apparently, while he had been flailing around, the vixen had stood her ground and hadn't budged an inch.

"Krystal," Falco called to her, "Are you ready to go?"

The Cerinian gazed out at the spinning eddies of snow outside, illuminated by the dual searchlights of the _Great Fox _and transport ship. Then, after an almost undetectable nod, she turned around silently and made for the door.

After getting a reaction from Krystal, Falco spoke into the radio set again. "This is your last warning; unlock your doors, disarm your soldiers, and gather in front of the entrance gate. Prepare to be boarded."

* * *

Minutes later, Phoenix, Krystal, and Falco were in the hangar donning snow gear and weapons. Their attire included snow boots, insulated jumpsuits, and warm coats durable even in the coldest of biomes. After Phoenix had zipped up his coat, Krystal approached him and shoved a gun in his face.

"You know how to use one of these... right?"

Her comment stung. Of course it was rhetorical; Phoenix had kept up his practice since they were both stranded on Zoness and was on his way to mastering blasters. Still, he hadn't had to actually shoot at a living person since their last mission, and Krystal was probably still sore at him for not aiming to kill.

Taking the laser blaster, Phoenix sighed and nodded.

"Are you gonna kill anyone this time, Lionheart?" she asked, eyes piercing and colder than the weather outside.

The vulpine didn't answer, instead turning his gaze towards the floor as he holstered the blaster.

Mouth curled in disgust, Krystal turned away and stormed towards the hangar gate.

Falco came up behind Phoenix and patted him on the shoulder. "At least wound them, okay?" the avian suggested. "I personally don't care where you hit them; head, heart, or vitals would obviously be preferable – it puts them out of commission for good, and we don't have to worry about them shooting us in the back when our guards are down. However, anywhere else would at least discourage them. If you want, you can go for their gun arms, legs, whatever."

Phoenix nodded. "That's what I was planning on. I'm just... not ready to kill, I guess."

Falco frowned and lowered his voice so only Phoenix could hear. "Hey, look; as part of the team, we have to depend on each other, and that includes you. Our lives are in your hands as well, Phoenix. How far would you risk us for moral reasons, so your conscience can remain clean? Don't forget, if one of us dies, you'll never forget it; you won't be able to sleep at night, and you'll never forgive yourself."

Falco grabbed Phoenix's shoulder firmly and pointed to Krystal, who stood impatiently in front of the gate, facing away from them. "Look at her, Phoenix. You think she's strong? She's far from perfect. She needs someone to cover her back, someone to watch out for her. We all do – she just doesn't show it. Sometimes, we just need something tangible to fight for, and right now, it looks like you don't have anything."

"So... fight for Krystal?" Phoenix asked, whispering.

Falco turned his head away so the young vulpine couldn't see his eyes.

After a few breaths, he finally answered, "Yes. Do as I've done all these years. I've struggled to keep this team together for a long time, but sometimes I think it's just not working. I feel like I'm the glue here, the only one holding us together. Without me, Krystal would be off alone in some cesspool of bounty hunters and other scum, or worse. And Slippy would be trapped behind a desk or stuck in a factory slaving away as an engineer. There's no will to live in either of them, but I try everything I can to keep them going..."

"You need some more glue?" Phoenix asked, jokingly.

"Exactly," Falco said as he smiled and patted Phoenix on the back again. Then, raising his voice, he called out, "Alright, let's get this show on the road."

As the avian made his way to the gate control console, Phoenix joined Krystal's side.

"When that door opens, brace yourself," the vixen said. "You're so skinny you're liable to get blown away by the storm."

"I'll be fine," Phoenix answered, now self-conscious about his build or lack thereof.

The hydraulics hissed as the gate opened, and a blast of frigid air swept through the hangar. Through the howling wind, Krystal shouted, "It's a bit of a drop to the ground; be careful, but the snow should absorb most of your fall."

Before Phoenix could jump down, Krystal pushed him out, and he fell 20 feet head-first into the snow below. Krystal followed soon after, though she landed on her feet, and Falco came last after hitting the gate switch. Without an apology, Krystal helped Phoenix up from the two feet of snow he had fallen into.

Once he was back upright, his upper body was subjected to powerful gusts of chilling wind and snow. He could only see a few feet in front of his face, unless he looked at the large swath of light created by the searchlights, but that was sufficient for him to see. Keeping track of Krystal in front of him and Falco behind him, he forged on towards the rear cargo gate of the supply ship. When they reached the door, Falco and Krystal pressed themselves against the hull on either side. Falco pushed the external comm system several times, just enough to alert the occupants to their presence. Then, palming a flash-bang, he waited. After a minute, the gate opened, and the avian tossed the grenade inside.

A blinding flash of light filled the interior of the cargo bay, illuminating the falling snow outside for an instant. With the occupants temporarily blinded and deaf from the bang, Krystal and Falco entered the hold, with Phoenix close on their heels.

Using close quarters combat, the two bounty hunters subdued the soldiers while Phoenix grabbed their weapons. The workers were huddled in a corner, and apparently wanted no part in the Cornerians' little resistance effort.

As Krystal set to work tying-up the soldiers, Falco stood over the cowering workers and raised his gun.

"You were wise not to help them. We wish you no harm; we only want your ship and some uniforms. Cooperate, and you will be spared. Man, I get tired of repeating this. Anyway, you will be bound, gagged, and locked up in one of the compartments. For extra measure, you will be drugged. Once we take your ship inside the compound, if one of you makes even a peep of noise, we will be forced to kill... all of you."

Phoenix knew Falco was just using fear to make them complacent, but he couldn't help wondering if the avian actually meant it or not.

Falco and Phoenix joined Krystal in binding and gagging the soldiers and workers, but not before grabbing a few of their uniforms. Then, after drugging them locking them away in a storage closet, they changed into their clothes. Falco and Phoenix had an easy enough time disguising as a soldier and a worker, respectively, but Krystal's gender and fur color would attract anyone's attention. To remedy this, she made sure to cover her face with a woolen hood and orange snow goggles, as well as donning a billowy coat.

Speaking into his wrist comm, Falco said, "All finished down here Slippy. You are free to take off."

_"Roger," _the mechanic answered.

The supply ship groaned as the behemoth lifted off its back, and the three bounty hunters made their way to the flight deck. Falco and Krystal sat down in the two front seats while Phoenix sat down in the back, but they seemed to give him funny looks.

"What?" he asked, seat belt halfway around his torso.

Krystal and Falco exchanged glances.

"You told him, right?" Falco asked.

"You were supposed to give him the full details later, weren't you?"

The avian rolled his eyes before turning to Phoenix. "Uh, look, we've got a job for you."

"Oh no."

"Yeah, it won't be pleasant. We need you back in the cargo hold."

"What exactly do I have to do?" Phoenix asked.

"We need a way to communicate with Slippy through this storm. Obviously, normal radio isn't going to cut it. We need you to set up radio beacons along our path to the morgue, you know, to relay the signal."

"Won't that slow us down?"

"Well... not in the way we're going to have you do it. Look, all you have to do is keep the door open and drop a beacon out every ten seconds. It's not that bad, is it?"

Krystal lifted her feet up onto the dashboard. "Have fun freezing your tail off back there, Phoenix. Us two, on the other hand, will get to enjoy the nice warm air up here. Probably even have seat warmers, if we search the controls."

"Right," Phoenix said, ears drooping. After Falco handed him a duffel bag containing what must have been radio beacons, he asked, "Every ten seconds?"

"Every ten seconds," Falco repeated.

"Okay." Phoenix ducked through the doorway towards the back of the ship, already shivering from the thought of his next job.


	9. Mark The Graves Part 2: Undead

**Chapter 9: Mark the Graves**

**Part 2: Undead**

* * *

"Hey, Lionheart!" Krystal called above the roaring wind. "You can stop now!"

Phoenix, hands nearly frozen to a radio beacon, looked up in surprise as Krystal entered the cargo bay.

"Y-y-you r-r-really m-m-mean it?" he asked, teeth chattering.

"Of course! Shut the gate or we'll look suspicious."

With trembling fingers, Phoenix dropped the unused beacon back in the duffel bag while Krystal hit the gate switch, putting a stop to the howling storm of ice and snow outside. Next, she lead the shivering fox back to the cockpit, where Falco was in the process of landing the ship.

On the other side of the glass canopy could be seen an array of green signal lights arranged in a square pattern, barely visible above the sea of snow. Falco eased the supply ship down into the center of the square, leaving more than enough room on either side. After he switched off the engines, he grabbed the microphone and hailed the morgue.

"Research Facility FC-118, this is transport ship FS-155. Come in FC-188, I'm freezing my tail-feathers off out here, over."

A stream of static filled the comm system, but Phoenix's beating heart was put to rest when the reply finally came.

_"__Transport ship... uh... FS-155, this is Fichinan Research Facility 118. We copy; prepare to enter docking hangar. Oh, and try not to bring too much snow with you when you come."_

The soldier's voice on the other end of the line was less than excited to great them, a detail all three teammates picked up on.

"Thankfully, security seems pretty lax here," Falco commented.

"Why shouldn't it be?" Krystal said, tapping her foot impatiently. "All they're guarding is a load of dead bodies."

"Come on, you don't really think that?" Falco chided her.

Krystal grinned and patted her pants pocket. "'Course not. That's why I got a little something from Slippy."

Before the conversation could continue, the ground beneath their transport ship shook, and the square block enclosed by the signal lights began to sink into the ground; ship, snow, and all. As four walls of snow and rock rose around them, they were greeted by a dimly lit hangar filled with a control tower, a squad of snow speeders, and several piles of crates, both empty and full.

Once the elevator platform atop which the ship rested locked into the floor, two steel panels slid into place to cover the gaping hole in the ceiling, shutting out the storm above for good. Falco unbuckled his seat and stood up.

"Come on, let's spend as little time as possible in contact with them. Phoenix, no talking. Krystal, _definitely _no talking. I'll handle that. You two keep a low profile, and maybe unload the crates if you have to; then we'll get the hell away from any living people in this facility."

"Manual labor isn't my thing," Krystal complained.

"Heh heh, isn't mine either," Phoenix agreed.

"Just shut up and get ready. You're not exactly royalty anymore; you're workers, so act like it."

* * *

Within a minute, the three bounty hunters were in the cargo hold of the ship. Falco opened the gate and jumped out into the morgue's hangar. One of the facility's workmen immediately greeted him with a friendly smile.

Falco whipped out a clipboard as he approached the shaggy sheepdog, searching beneath his head fur for a pair of eyes. Without invitation, he shoved the checklist at the canine. "Here, take this."

The dog refused, raising both his hands. "Aw, come on now. You're not going to force yer work on me, now, would ya?"

Falco patted the sheepdog on his shoulder and leaned in closer to whisper into his ear, wherever it was. "Hey, listen; me and my crew are terribly understaffed. Most of them called in sick at the same time. In fact, these two good-for-nothings you see here are the only ones who showed up. We're all new to the job, so I guess the regulars thought they could pull one over on us."

The shaggy canine nodded and rubbed his chin with a paw. "Er, I see..."

"To make matters worse, we were grounded by the blizzard and covered in snow for a while; that's why we're so late. We barely made it out alive, and we're pretty shaken up by the experience. I would really appreciate it if you would have your task force unload the supplies for us."

"Well, seeing as yer understaffed... you'd still have to help us, ya know."

Falco raised a stack of credits to the general vicinity of the dog's face, still unable to find his eyes. "I said, I would _really _appreciate it if your men did all the work."

The canine's nose – the only discernible feature of his face – wiggled as it caught the scent of the money. He reached up and took the credits. "Alrighty, me and my mates will see to the cargo. You just rest yer lil' hearts and bundle up with some nice warm cocoa. Mess hall's that way, by the way," the sheepdog finished, pointing towards an exit from the hangar.

Falco nodded and turned to leave, but the foreman caught his arm.

"Say, why's yer buddy still all wrapped up?"

Falco glanced towards Krystal, whose face and figure were concealed in the layers of coats she wore. He had to think quick.

"Oh, he's just a transfer from Aquas. The cold is really getting to him. You know the saying; 'it never snows on Aquas.' He's never taken off his coat since we got here."

"Ah ah," the sheepdog said, shaking his head, and his mound of fur with it. "You can't pull the wool over ol' Sharky. That one there's a wuman."

Falco's eyes gawked. _How the hell did he figure out Krystal's a woman? _She was bundled in coats and a fair distance away from them, and, on top of that, the sheepdog should have been blind under his pile of fur.

Keeping his cool, Falco slipped another pack of credits into the canine's hand. "Well, that explains why we have to keep her bundled up, doesn't it? I expect most of the boys working here haven't seen a good-looking girl in months, am I right?"

"We've got plenty o' dead ones," the foreman offered.

"Alright, nope, end of conversation," Falco cut him off, quickly turning in the direction of the mess hall. As he passed by the supply ship, he motioned to Krystal and Phoenix, who jumped down to follow him out of the hangar.

* * *

"God, this place gives me the creeps," Krystal said as she stripped off her layers of coats.

"Could it be the dead people?" Phoenix ventured.

While the Cerinian dropped her coats in a pile beside the hallway wall, Falco said, "That's definitely part of it. As for me, I just feel claustrophobic. You'd think I'd get use to tight enclosed places, being on the _Great Fox _so often, but this is different. Now we're surrounded by hundreds of feet of solid rock and trapped under a sea of snow. We're essentially buried in a giant coffin ourselves..."

Abruptly, the hallway ended, leading out into a much larger atrium. As the group leaned against the railing and stared down the drop-off, Krystal joked, "Is this wide-open enough for you, Big Bird?"

A gust of cold air hit the team like a wall. The guards and task force may have been lax, but the scientists were on top of the game; they took every precaution to keep the bodies preserved.

Below them was a deep alcove that stretched at least fifty stories down to a rocky bottom. The room was shaped like a large, curved ravine, with long balconies stretching across each level down one of the walls. Along the wall of each new floor was a series of alcoves, embedded in which were cryogenic freezing containers that stretched as far as the eye could see. At the top of the alcove was a series of pale, white fluorescent lights that illuminated most of the ravine. The walkways themselves were sparsely equipped with similar lights, though they allowed for much more shadows that added to the eerie nature of the big alcove.

"Slip, we're in the body freezer," Falco spoke into his wrist comm. "Where to next?"

There were a few seconds of radio silence before Slippy's garbled voice came through.

_"Let's see... on your right there should be an elevator that goes all the way down. __Meinhard's daughter should be on level... uh... __23\. You got that? Level 23."_

"We copy," Falco answered.

_"__Once you get there, just follow the freezing chambers until you get to the girl's. It's alphabetical, so it shouldn't be too hard."_

"Thanks, Slip; stay alert."

_"__Roger and out."_

"I've done a lot of things in my life, but I've never robbed a grave before," Krystal murmured as they entered the elevator. Falco remained noticeably silent as he hit the button for the 23rd floor. The elevator was silent except for a slight whooshing of air as it dropped to their desired level. Even though they were deep under the snow-covered Fichinan surface, the air carried a cold sting, causing their breath to emerge in little white puffs. Phoenix doubted that there was any difference in temperature between the cryo-chambers and the freezer vault.

When the elevator car reached the 23rd floor, the three teammates stepped out and surveyed the area to make sure it was clear. With no sign of guards, workmen, or scientists, they continued across platform. All was quiet except for the sharp clack of their boots against the steel floor, and the occasional hiss of exhaust emitted from the occupied chambers.

Phoenix stared down the curved wall that stretched across either end of the ravine. Every four feet there was an alcove in the wall, most of which held coffins. Some of the coffins were empty, patiently awaiting the carcasses of unfortunate animals. Others contained unmoving bodies, their owners lost in the afterlife.

The cryo-chambers were roughly the size of standard coffins, though they more closely resembled medical pods in build. Each chamber was made from a large plexiglass tube filled with some form of blue-green preservation liquid – Phoenix didn't know what. Along the preservation tube was a series of black chrome rings with angular edges, probably to keep the cylinders from sliding or spinning on flat surfaces. At the feet of each tube was a flat panel with a series of controls and graphs to monitor the state of the body they contained. On each chamber the status was the same; DECEASED.

Of course, the only way Phoenix or the others could see the contents of the cryo-chambers was through the monitoring screens attached to the sides of each alcove. Otherwise, the only visible part of each coffin was the panel at the bottom, all of which faced outwards.

Phoenix silently read the names of each occupant in his head. _Mabon, __Maccoy, McAdams, McAfee... _none of them out of the ordinary, and thankfully none of them were recognizable. When he tired of reading names, Phoenix occupied himself with admiring the ravine the freezer was carved from. He dropped this, too, as his fear of heights began to kick in.

Suddenly, the vulpine's ears twitched. Including his own, Phoenix was only picking up two sets of footsteps.

He stopped and tapped Falco's shoulder. "Hey, we've lost Krystal."

Falco turned around. "What, already?"

The falcon's eyes narrowed, and he gestured towards where they had come from. "She's just stopped back there, admiring a coffin. That's all." As Falco started walking back, he motioned for Phoenix to follow. "Come on, we can't call her back; I don't want to raise our voices in here."

When the pair arrived at Krystal's side, they discovered she was as still as the body her eyes were locked on.

"Krys, what's the matter?" Falco asked, grabbing her arm.

The vixen didn't answer; her mouth was moving slightly, but no sound came out.

"Come on, Krystal, you're freaking me out," Phoenix said, worried.

"It's him..." She mumbled.

"Hm? What?" Falco asked.

Krystal threw off the avian's arm and stumbled towards the cryo-chamber, falling to her knees. Her eyes bulged out like a madman's; her hands reached out for the name plaque, shaking and trembling. "It's... it's him..."

"Krystal, shake it off," Falco ordered in a firm voice.

The vixen was truly beginning to scare Phoenix; he had never seen her in such a weakened state before. He himself was beginning to panic now, wondering what was bothering her.

The sound of squeaking wheels echoed throughout the freezer, accompanied by several pairs of footsteps. The scientists were probably transporting a chamber back to its resting place, or going to pick one up. Whichever it was, it meant company.

Krystal, however, was oblivious to their arrival.

"He's right here... he's so close!" Her voice began to rise in volume and pitch. In desperation, she flew at the cryo-chamber, clawing at its controls, blindly looking for a way to eject it.

"Shit," Falco cursed under his breath. Without waiting another instant, he tackled Krystal and pinned her arms behind her back. As Falco struggled to keep her still and secure, Krystal cried, "Let me go, dammit! You can't keep me away from him!"

Luckily, the scientists had entered the elevator, and Krystal's words remained unheard.

Falco gritted his teeth. "Her mouth, Phoenix! Cover her mouth!"

Gulping in fear, Phoenix helped Falco keep Krystal still and pressed his hand tightly against her mouth. As he expected, the vicious Cerinian bit his hand, but he clenched his own mouth shut and fought the urge to cry out. Instead, he focused on praying the elevator wouldn't stop at their level.

To Phoenix and Falco's relief, the troop of scientists stopped at a different floor, but it was still the level directly above them. The three bounty hunters froze in an awkward pile on the floor as the scientists wheeled the cart directly overhead and paused. Phoenix and Falco fought to keep their breathing to a minimum, while at the same time restraining Krystal from her strange obsession with the chamber beside them.

Hydraulics hissed as the alcove's door opened above them, and the scientists wheeled the cot around to face the chamber. The three teammates heard several strained grunts as the scientists pushed the cryo-chamber into place.

"I'll tell you, Steve, sending people out of the world is a lot easier than bringing them into the world. There's a lot less screaming and wriggling... and blood."

"I dunno," a second scientist answered him. "You ever had to work in the embalming department? The messier one?"

"Have you ever worked in the maternity ward?" The first shot back. "Trust me, it's a lot worse when the body you have is screamin' and kickin', and the mother is screamin' and groanin' and sweatin', and the pressure's on you to keep the little fella alive. No siree, the morgue's a welcome job after you've worked at the maternity ward for twenty-some years."

"But you feel like you've accomplished something when you deliver a baby, right?" a third voice spoke up. "You know, the mother thanks you, you get to hold the baby, congratulate the father, and you've got all those nurses admiring you. No nurses around here..."

"I'm just glad to get some peace and quiet," the first scientist persisted. "I've come full circle, in a way. It's almost poetic. I start out bringing people into the world, and I end up sending them out of the world."

"You should write a book about it."

"Hm... I think I will..."

The scientists' voices faded away as they wheeled the cot back to the elevator. After another minute, they were gone, and Falco and Phoenix gasped for air as if they had surfaced after a long dive.

Krystal renewed her struggling again, and Phoenix finally removed his hand.

"Ow! God that hurt!"

"Come on," Falco said, "Let's get her away from this chamber. Hold her legs, will ya?"

Falco and Phoenix grabbed ahold of Krystal and rose to their feet, still struggling to retain the thrashing vixen. After they lay her down a ways away from the chamber, they finally let her go. Krystal scooted over to the edge of the platform, grabbing the bars of the railing and staring down into the abyss. Her breathing was ragged, and her eyes continued to dart around erratically.

"Give her a minute; she'll snap out of it," Falco panted.

But Phoenix ignored him as he cautiously knelt down beside the possessed vixen.

"Hey, Krystal... it's me, Lionheart. Remember?"

Her breathing began to slow, and her chest rose and fell at a slower pace.

"Try to calm down, you hear? You're already getting better; just keep it at. We're here for you, you're safe... just relax."

Finally, Krystal closed her eyes and lowered her head against the protective bars, sighing deeply. Struggling to her feet, she kept one arm against the railing to support herself and started off down the walkway.

_Just like that? _Phoenix thought. _Not even a word about her actions?_

The vulpine turned to Falco, but he had already set out after Krystal.

Catching up to him, Phoenix whispered, "Hey, what the heck was that about?"

Falco shook his head. "It's... it's none of your business, kid. Just don't ask either of us about it again."

"Does she do that often? You know, go a little insane every once in a while? More than usual?"

"If you ask me, she's always insane," Falco answered, quietly. "But no; she only gets like that on rare occasions. It's been a year since... since she got like... _that._"

"Something really must be bothering her – er, you all."

Falco was quiet for a minute, silently brooding.

"Phoenix; promise me you'll never talk to her about it, okay? Don't ask her about anything."

Krystal shouted back to them from up ahead. "Hey! What are you two shitlords whispering about? Shut up and hurry over here!"

The pair smiled, glad Krystal was back to normal.

"I promise," Phoenix assured the avian, though he cursed himself for not checking the name of the occupant in the cryo-chamber.

* * *

It took only a hundred more steps to arrive at their destination; the three bounty hunters were finally standing in front of the correct coffin.

"'Meinhard,'" Falco read aloud. "Not even a first name..."

Krystal leaned forwards and examined the video feed of the occupant with scrutinizing eyes. "Yep, it's the little brat alright. Come on, let's grab her and go. I'm getting sick of this place."

"Wait a minute..." Phoenix muttered, stopping them.

Exasperated, Krystal decided to humor him. "What's the matter now, Lionheart?"

"It doesn't make sense. It says here she's... she's..."

The three members of the Hunting Party stared in unison at the occupant's status monitor.

"ALIVE."


	10. Mark The Graves Part 3: Encounter

**Chapter 10: Mark the Graves**

**Part 3: Encounter**

* * *

Krystal shoved Phoenix aside and squinted at the status monitor. "No... no, that can't be right. She was supposed to be dead! We didn't sign a contract for a rescue operation! It was supposed to be a simple break-in and robbery!"

"Well, we've got no choice now," Phoenix argued.

"Kids! I hate kids!" Krystal complained. "They're just whiny little brats!"

"Krystal!" Falco hissed, "The plan doesn't change! We defrost her and go! Look on the bright side; at least she's not deadweight and you don't have to carry her anymore. Now shut up and help me."

"You heard what he said, Phoenix," Krystal said, pushing the unlucky vulpine towards Falco. "Shut up and give him a hand!"

Falco gave Krystal a fed-up "really?" look before setting to work dislodging the cryo-chamber.

"Here, Phoenix; we'll grab it when it pops out. Krystal, at least hit the eject button, will ya?"

Once Falco and Phoenix had positioned themselves under the freezing chamber, Krystal jammed her elbow into the ejection switch. With a spout of steam and the hissing of hydraulics, the sub-zero coffin was disgorged from the wall into the waiting arms of Falco and Phoenix, who struggled under its weight. The white jumble of fur clouded by the blue preservation liquid swirled and sloshed as they simultaneously dropped one end onto the floor, sending a loud bang echoing throughout the atrium.

"Careful now, we wouldn't want her to die like she was supposed to," Krystal teased, icily.

"You want to give us a hand?" Falco grunted as he grabbed the fallen end and lifted it up.

"No thanks; you boys are doing just fine. Follow me; I'll lead you to the defroster, or whatever they call it. You with me, Frogger?"

_"__Let me see..." _Slippy mumbled through Krystal's wrist comm. _"It's called the... no, wait, you're right; it's just "The Defroster." __Some scientists, huh. __Anyway, the facility's __right__ at the end of your level. Keep going and you'll reach it. Security cam footage says it's... empty. Perfect."_

"You heard him, boys; follow me. I ain't lending a paw to help that dumb brat."

_"__Uh, anything wrong, Krystal?"_

"Oh, nothing... just a little complication, nothing to worry about." Rolling her eyes, Krystal added, "Of course something's wrong! Do I _sound _like I think everything's fine?"

Once Krystal had marched out of earshot, Phoenix adjusted his grip on the front end of the freezing pod. "So, another mystery to solve."

Falco gestured with his head towards the left. "Watch it; you're gonna bump into the railing."

"Oh, thanks," Phoenix said as he glanced over his shoulder and waddled with his end towards the opposite direction.

"What do you mean, 'Another mystery?'" Falco pressed.

"Well... Krystal hates children. I just wonder why."

Falco gave it some thought before shrugging as best as he could with his arms occupied. "Hey, I've been with her for four years, and even I don't know. I got nothing."

"I mean, she's such an enigma. We don't even know much about her home planet Cerinia. Everything about her is just... a mystery..."

Falco grunted. "Yeah, well... maybe someday she'll tell you one day. What am I saying... keep your head in the game! Focus on the mission! We've got a live girl on our hands!"

* * *

Krystal flung the door open to the "defroster" and held it for Phoenix and Falco. The vulpine and avian pair carried the cryo-chamber to a medical table and carefully set it down in the depression made for it. The defrosting room was nothing more than a dark lab made of cold, heartless steel with large glass windows overlooking the vast atrium. The facility was outfitted with two other medical tables for maintenance on the cryo-chambers, as well as a row of computer monitors that quickly caught Krystal's attention.

"Alright, you two defrost the little bitch; I've got something to check out."

As Phoenix glared at Krystal out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her slip a small data-pack out of her pocket and insert it into one of the monitors. The computer booted up, but initially blocked the device.

Krystal spoke into her wrist comm. "Slip, I've given you access to one of their computers. Can you break in?"

_"__Can do; won't take more than a few minutes."_

"When you do," Krystal continued, "Look for files on Meinhard's daughter. Something's definitely not right here."

_"__What do you mean?" _Slippy asked as he began to hack through the morgue's security system.

"Oh, didn't we tell you?" Krystal asked, matter-of-factly. "The girl we were supposed to grab is actually alive."

Slippy was silent on the other end of the communications line.

_"__What?"_

Krystal growled. "Just break into the damn computer already!"

Phoenix and Falco tuned out Krystal's antics as they set to work defrosting the cryo-chamber. Their efforts amounted to little more than fumbling around with the equipment. Falco connected a series of wires and chemical tubes while Phoenix activated the machine and tried to figure out the controls. Eventually, he found a program that read "automatic defrost" and pressed it.

As the system began its work, Phoenix mumbled, "Man, these guys have a sick sense of humor."

The pair stepped back as the medical table sprang to life. Bright white lights emitted from the table through the blue preservation liquid, casting a deep sapphiric glow throughout the dark room. Slowly, different colors of liquid seeped through the tubes and into the cryo-chamber, where they were presumably fed into the girl intravenously. Even with the contents of the pod illuminated, Phoenix and Falco could only make out a skinny mass of white fur silhouetted against the bright lights of the table.

Once the flow of chemicals was cut off, the top glass piece of the tube opened vertically like the lid to a coffin, or the windshield to one of their arwings. The girl inside was now visible to them.

Phoenix's gut wrenched with emotion. He felt a wave of sadness and pity flow over him as he looked down upon the girl. The young Siberian cat floated deathly still in the coolant, her albino fur as white and pure as the Fichinan snow on the surface. Her frail, naked body tugged at Phoenix's heart strings; she was so thin and weak that her ribcage was nearly visible under her skin. An oxygen mask covered her nose and mouth, useless the entire time she was in hibernation. A series of wires and tubes were injected into her arms and legs, making her look as if she was part of a machine. Yet, with all grim medical equipment surrounding her and barely supporting her life, her face was the picture of serenity.

A yellow light flashed, warning anyone nearby to step back and avoid electrical shock. Two electrodes attached to her chest suddenly bucked, and her body arched out of the liquid for an instant, splashing the coolant over the side of the pod. She settled back into the chamber, and her eyes snapped open. The status monitor emitted green lights.

As she struggled to sit up through the web of wires and tubes entangling her, Phoenix and Falco came to her aid. They quickly jerked the arrays of implants from her body, some leaving small patterns of blood in the preservation liquid that blossomed like drops of food-coloring in water. When Phoenix removed the oxygen mask, the small child began to cough uncontrollably, struggling for breath. When her hacking fit died down, her coughs were replaced by a high-pitched sobs as she broke down and began crying.

Krystal rolled her eyes and gestured at the young feline angrily. "Would one of you shut that little brat up? Do you want her to call every freaking Cornerian in the facility to this room?!"

When Falco hesitated for a moment, Phoenix took initiative and lifted the dripping girl from the pod, carrying her to a counter space occupied by a pile of towels. He set her down in their midst and frantically began wiping the frigid liquid from her body; the facility was already cold enough as it was. After she was mostly dry, Phoenix glanced around the room for some clothes, but found none. As a last resort, he removed his own coat and wrapped it around the girl's boney shoulders. Still, she would not stop wailing.

"Geez," Krystal complained, "She cries more than a newborn."

Leaving the computer she and Slippy were working on, the angry vixen stomped over towards the cat, but Phoenix stepped between them. Wrapping his arms around the girl, he pulled her towards his chest and whispered softly in her ear.

"Shhhh... your name's Kitty, right?"

Upon hearing her name, the feline's sobs quieted, and she breathed, "Yes."

"Well you don't have to worry anymore; you're safe. Me and these guys have come to rescue you. We're working for your father."

"You... you really mean that?" she asked, looking up at Phoenix with tear stained eyes. Their blood red hue offset Phoenix a bit, but the color was peculiar to albinos.

"Of course I do," Phoenix assured her. "We're going to get you out of here and back to your dad as fast as we can."

The girl weakly pulled the coat tighter around herself and leaned against Phoenix, still sniffing.

Krystal froze at the sight of Phoenix comforting the young girl. Something about the image made her stand stock still, green eyes fixated on the two, her heart a mix of pity and disgust. Her fists clenched and her muzzle trembled, and she paid no attention to Slippy's voice frantically trying to call her.

Once Falco noticed that Krystal wasn't answering, he answered Slippy himself.

"Sorry, Slip; what seems to be the trouble?"

_"I can't get a hold of Krystal. She's not answering!"_

"Krystal's fine," Falco said, dismissing his worries. "Now, what is it?"

_"__I broke in a little while ago and have been reading up on __Meinhard's daughter – "_

"Yeah, she's alive," Krystal interjected, finally regaining her wits.

_"__No, besides that. __The Cornerians have been using her and some of the others as experiments for – "_

Slippy was interrupted once again, this time by the blare of an alarm siren and red flashing lights mounted on the walls.

"Shit!" Krystal cursed. "Sorry Slippy; it'll have to wait. Tell us on the way!"

Falco placed his hand on Phoenix's shoulder. "We need to go, fast! Since you seem to be getting along so well, you can take the girl. Just don't fall behind."

"Alright," Phoenix agreed as he looked over his shoulder. Then, turning back to the girl, he coaxed her, "Kitty, I know you've been through so much since you were kidnapped, but there's going to be some excitement before we can get you out of here. Do you understand?"

Kitty stared at him with frightened eyes before nodding.

"Good." Phoenix turned around and knelt down. "Now, climb on my back and hold on tight."

Phoenix rose to his feet once Kitty had gotten a firm hold around his neck. Once again, Krystal lead the way, drawing her trusty silver pistols and kicking the door open. "Follow me, and stick close!"

* * *

The three bounty-hunters ran with Kitty in tow across the atrium level back the way they had come. The sirens echoed throughout the cave while the warning lights flashed from different points in the wall, both of which heightened the urgency of the situation and got fresh blood pumping in their veins. Their snow boots clacked loudly against the steel floor as they ran, a noise that Phoenix was sure would give away their position.

They met the first wave of opposition halfway across the walkway; a small unit of six Cornerian guards visibly as scared as they were. They probably never had any actual combat experience... until now. Still, the guards had them outnumbered two-to-one, and they quickly took advantage of their superior size.

When the two groups were separated by less than 20 meters, the Cornerians opened fire on Phoenix's group. Krystal initially knelt down to fire back, but Falco grabbed her shoulder and jerked her back.

"Get behind cover!" the avian hissed.

Phoenix, with Kitty on his back, quickly stepped into the nearest coffin alcove and crouched down, minimizing their target area. Falco and Krystal positioned themselves behind the alcove in front Phoenix's and returned fire. On her first shot, Krystal hit one of the guards in the chest, causing him to stumble sideways and flip over the railing into the ravine.

Krystal spat to the side. "A little rusty, these ones. They haven't had a good fight since training."

Falco squinted down the sights of his blaster and carefully fired at one of the guards, but the Cornerian dove into an alcove himself, and his shot merely fizzled out on the wall behind which the guard was taking cover. The rest of his comrades followed, and soon the two groups were stuck in what amounted to trench warfare.

Falco's wrist comm buzzed static as Slippy contacted him again. _"__Hey, Falco, you reeeeally_ _oughta hear this, you know."_

"We'er kinda busy right now, Slip!" Krystal shouted angrily, hopping the mechanic would pick up on some of the ambient gunfire.

"Now's as good a time as any," Falco answered, ignoring Krystal.

As the two mercenaries returned fire at the Cornerians, and Phoenix did his best to shield Kitty with his body, the amphibian continued.

_"__Alright, so, I don't know how much of this is review, but here goes. Kitty was originally captured by some obscure band of pirates; __who they are is inconsequential. What really is important is the place they chose as their hideout. It seems they brought Kitty to a previously undiscovered Androssian research base in Meteo. __As you and Krystal know – Phoenix, you would have thought this just a conspiracy __theory __if you heard it before – is that under operation Binder Clip, the Cornerians have been absorbing all of Andross's leftover research. Therefore, when they heard the pirates had discovered one of his research plants in Meteo, they insisted on running a rescue operation; an operation actually meant to recover any materials leftover from the base. They didn't care about Meinhard's daughter at all – only the research."_

"Still on the side of the Cornerians, huh, Lionheart?" Krystal called back to Phoenix.

The vulpine flinched as a laser bolt struck the wall just above his head. "Does it look like it?"

_"When they arrived at the research center, they ended up killing most of the people they found there, all except for a few of the pirates and Kitty. __All of the survivors picked up whatever Andross's scientists were experimenting with, so the Cornerians brought them here to run more tests on them and continue their research. __Really, you guys are in more danger than you think – "_

"Dammit!" Krystal swore, interrupting Slippy once again. "They're getting closer! They're hopping from coffin thingy to coffin thingy!"

_"__Would you shut up and listen! I'm telling you, Meinhard's daughter is carrying – "_

From behind Phoenix, Kitty let out a high-pitched scream that alerted him to danger. He spun around, positioning the girl behind him just as a Cornerian wearing a gas-mask swung down from the level above and landed on the railing of their level. He raised a blaster and fired at the pair, but Phoenix instinctively leaned to the side just in time to avoid the laser blast. When he realized the guard was specifically aiming for Kitty, Phoenix whipped out his own blaster and shot the soldier squarely in the chest.

With a grunt, the Cornerian dropped his gun and clutched at his chest. Then, as his body went limp, he lost his balance and fell backwards into the deep ravine.

Gasping for breath and pulse racing, Phoenix simply stared at the empty space where the guard had stood, replaying the scene over and over again in his head of the dying guard. Slowly it began to sink in. He had killed someone. He had finally killed someone. His arms were still stretched out, pointing his blaster at the railing. The gun began to shake in his paws, and his entire body began to tremble.

A rush of warmth coursed through his body as Kitty wrapped her arms tighter around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder. Somehow, that little action made everything okay. It had all been for her. He had taken a life... but he had saved hers.

"What are you waiting for, dipshit!?"

Phoenix looked up to find Krystal standing over him, hands on her hips, feet firmly planted, and green eyes piercing.

"What? I-I – "

"What took you so long!?" Krystal demanded. "All this time we've worked together and not once have you killed anyone! Noooo! _You _always have to hit right next to them or shoot them in the leg! But for your little _princess_ here you suddenly go _a__aaa__ll _the way! Even death is too good for anyone trying to harm your little brat, isn't it!?"

"Krystal! Phoenix!" Falco called from ahead of them, "We move _now_!"

"Fine!" Krystal yelled angrily, turning away from Phoenix as if she couldn't bear to look at him again in her life. Once she met up with Falco, the two began an aggressive charge at the guards standing in their way, running and gunning simultaneously, with Phoenix and Kitty once again taking up the rear.

The attack was a success; the Cornerians, who had previously been playing it cautious by moving slowly from alcove to alcove, were completely taken off-guard. The voracity and speed of their maneuver was enough to breakup the group of soldiers and kill each one of them off, one by one.

As the mercenaries renewed their run down the walkway, Krystal said to Falco, "Next time, we don't stop for anything. We just keep on going like a blitzkrieg."

"We handled it perfectly just the way we did it," Falco countered. "We just have to watch out for Phoenix and his little package in the back."

Once they were on the elevator, Krystal hurriedly jammed the button for the top floor.

"Come on, come on!" she said, impatiently. "They're gonna catch us at the top! What if they cut the elevator? What if they shut it down?"

Slippy cut back in. _"As far as the security monitors show, they're more fixated on __preventing__ the containment breach than stopping you guys. Right now they're distributing bio-hazard equipment."_

"Bio-hazard equipment?" Falco echoed. "Why in the hell would they need that?"

_"It's what I've been trying to tell you!" _Slippy exclaimed, exasperated. _"Meinhard's daughter is carrying a disease! She picked it up with the rest of the pirates at the research facility!"_

"WHAT!?" Krystal exclaimed, glaring angrily at Kitty who cowered behind Phoenix's shoulder. "The little brat's not contagious, is she!?"

_"Very."_

Krystal was quiet for a moment as she struggled to process the new development. Then, she let out a laugh that bordered on the insane. "Sucks to be you, Phoenix!"

_"By now you've all contracted it," _Slippy corrected her. _"You all caught the disease the moment you brought her out of hibernation. __According to the files, it __spreads__ through the air and __is __contracted just by breathing __it in__. And get this; it's completely fatal."_

"Shit!" Krystal swore as she banged her fists against the wall of the elevator. Sweeping around to face Falco and Phoenix, she flew into one of her signature rants again. "I don't know about you, but I didn't sign up for any of this! I can get past the cold part, it's freaking Fichina after all, and the part with all the dead bodies frozen like some instant Chinese meal, but that's about it. There was nothing about having to transport a sobby little brat around, who not only was supposed to be dead, but who's also infected with some horrible disease! And now we're _all _going to die! And you know what they're going to do with us? They're going to remove all the fluid and organs from our bodies, fill us with liquid plastic, and then freeze us and stuff us in one of these thousands of coffins!"

_"Krystal – " _Slippy tried to cut in.

"And _then _they'll package us and sell us as frozen instant Thai noddles for two! I freaking _hate_ Thai!"

_"Krystal!" _Slippy repeated. _"Calm down! It's not the end of the world! You're not going to die!"_

"What do you mean I'm not going to die! What are you, Dr. Toad, M.D. or something? Are you the Lylat's leading expert on fatal diseases? You know how to use a first aid kit and that qualifies you as a disease specialist?"

_"Would you shut up and listen for on__e__ second!? Look, Kitty has the cure. She may carry the disease, but she also has the cure. The Cornerians were efficient like that. __In this particular case, they stored the disease in her respiratory system while encoding the cure into her blood. That way, they keep the disease and the cure in the same body, just in separate systems. __Because Kitty's a carrier, both can exist in her body, but if you inject enough of her blood into your own system, it'll cure the disease."_

Slowly, Krystal regained her composure and relaxed her breathing. "Alright, Slip, I'm listening. What do we have to do?"

_"__F__irst you need to get your hands on a... wait, let me see... it's called a "direct inter-animal blood transfuser.""_

"Well that's a lot of help," Krystal said, sarcastically. "What does it look like, and where do we find one?"

_"__It looks like a syringe __with two little tubes coming out of either side, each with their own needle. Once you arrive at the top floor, take the side hall directly to the left that leads towards the hangar. __That'll put a large amount of distance between you and the main force while also leading you past some stores of medical equipment. They've got a full inventory list, so I'll direct you to the right room once you get there."_

"You know, Slippy," Falco began, "It's during moments like these that I remember just how useful you are."

_"__Awww, you didn't have to say that."_

* * *

** A/N: Just wanted to get something out sooner rather than later. It feels like It's been too long since I last updated, but the end of the school year has been pretty packed. At least I met the requirements for not having to take finals, so I don't have to worry about any taking exams this week, unlike most...**

** While writing this chapter I listened to the Metal Gear theme "Encounter" non-stop. I could have waited until I wrote the rest of this story arc to publish it together, but then the third part would have been +6k words, and again I wanted to post something sooner rather than later. So, next chapter will be the last one in this particular arc. See you all after graduation!**


	11. Mark The Graves Part 4: Epitaph

**Chapter 11: Mark the Graves**

**Part 4: Epitaph**

* * *

The second the elevator reached the top floor, Krystal forced the doors open and led their group out into the research facility. They did as Slippy said and kept left until they came across a closet filled with drawers and shelves of medical equipment. The amphibian gave them the general area where they'd locate the blood transfuser, and Falco eventually opened one of the drawers to discover a full pile of them. He returned to Phoenix and Krystal carrying a transparent syringe with two thin tubes tipped with needles, exactly as Slippy had described it.

"Hey, uh, look, Miss Meinhard," Falco began, stumbling for words, "We've got to take some of your blood."

Upon hearing his words, Kitty looked down and focused on Phoenix's shoulders.

"We don't want to, it's just that.. we'll die if you don't give it to us. You understand?"

Kitty nodded, then asked, "Phoenix will die, too?"

"Phoenix, too," Falco answered. "All of us. I understand that they must have done a lot of experiments on you, and that needles probably aren't your favorite thing in the world, are they?"

Reluctantly, Kitty slipped down Phoenix's back and stood in the middle of their group. "It's fine; needles don't bother me anymore."

Falco gave her a weak smile, then patted her on the back. "Good girl. Now, Slippy, I need you to calculate how much blood we need to take."

_"__I've already done that... and I've got some more bad news."_

"God, what is it this time, Frogger?" Krystal moaned in annoyance.

_"__You each need 150 milliliters of her blood. But, if all three of you take that amount... she won't make it. __A girl her age can't lose that much blood. __It'll kill her."_

Krystal immediately reached for the transfuser. "Gimme the blood thingy, Falco. Well, it's been nice knowing you, Princess, but know it's time to say goodbye."

"You gotta be freaking kidding me!" Phoenix said, angrily. "Didn't you hear Slippy? You can't take her blood; she'll die!"

"Sucks to be her, doesn't it?" Krystal spat back. "Now give me the brat."

Once again, Phoenix stepped in between Krystal and Kitty.

"No! You can't put your own life before a child's! We've got to protect her!"

"Well _excuse me _Mr. Cornerian Military! I wasn't aware you were a soldier who wanted to protect the innocent! If that's the case, you joined the wrong fucking bounty-hunting group! We're not soldiers; we work for ourselves and ourselves only! Nothing else matters besides our own survival. I don't know about you, but I ain't trading my life for some snot-nosed rich-kid brat!"

Falco had been quiet the entire time, instead choosing to stand back with his arms folded. His stance didn't go unnoticed by Phoenix, who decided to enlist help from the self-appointed team leader.

"Falco, what do you think?" the vulpine asked him, desperately.

"Phoenix..." the falcon began with a pained voice, "Krystal may be selfish bitch, but she's on the right side of the argument. We have to prioritize our team over everything else, and right now, that girl dies, or all three of us die. To me, the scales seem rather tipped. Look, if you don't want to, then... then I guess that's up to you. But you can't deny Krystal and me the chance to live."

Phoenix glanced down at Kitty, so small and fragile on the floor behind him...

"Then I guess I'll just go without it. Take her blood and live... but leave me out."

Krystal's eyes bulged, and her hands flew to her hips, indignantly. "What!? You can't be serious! That... that means you'll die!"

"That's right," Falco stated in a low voice, "It's his decision, and I'll respect it."

"Well _I_ can't!" Krystal nearly shouted. "Give me the fucking transfuser, Falco. Phoenix is going to be the first one to get the cure!"

"I said NO!" Phoenix reaffirmed, "I'm not taking this girl's blood."

"Krystal," Falco said as he withheld the transfuser from her, "If Phoenix is going to accept your decision to take her blood, you have to accept his decision not to. Okay?"

Krystal stopped struggling for the blood transfuser and stepped back, eyes watering.

"No... no, you have to take it! You'll die if you don't! Phoenix listen to me, you'll die! Whose gonna be there for... for... who's gonna protect Kitty and get her to her father?"

"Of course I will," Phoenix stated, "Even if it's the last thing I do. It will be worth it."

"No... no. No-no-no-no... You have to take it! You can't leave me again!"

Out of nowhere, Krystal began to shake, prompting Falco to grab her shoulders and force her to face him.

"Krystal, look at me; calm down. Get a hold of yourself! We're going to get through this. We'll find a way. Maybe Phoenix can take the blood later, when the girl's recovered enough. But right now we just have to accept this and move on, you got it?"

Krystal stared into Falco's eyes for a few moments, her own eyes glassy and trembling. Finally, she blinked and pulled away, crossing her arms over her chest. "What... whatever. Just get on with it already."

"Slippy, how much do we need again?"

_"__150 milliliters is the safest amount."_

"We'll take 120."

_"__What!?"_

Phoenix stepped aside, allowing Falco to approach Kitty. Kneeling down, he reached for her arm. "You ready, Kitty?"

The Siberian kitten looked up at Phoenix for guidance, who nodded encouragingly. Suddenly resolute and determined, she produced a pale white arm from Phoenix's coat. After rolling up his sleeve, Falco inserted one needle into the crook of his elbow, and the other into Kitty's. The feline bit her lip as a thin, dark stream of blood began seeping through the transfuser and into Falco's arm. After he measured out 120 milliliters, the avian pulled the needle out of his arm and motioned for Krystal to sit down beside him. Rather reluctantly, Krystal complied and rolled up her own sleeve.

As Falco inserted the needle into her arm, she cracked a faint smile and joked, "What if I'm the wrong blood type?"

"I don't think you're even the right species," Falco answered.

After a long period of radio silence, Slippy piped up. _"The blood doesn't matter. Your cardiovascular system will initially reject it, but the antidote should still get through."_

"Well, that's a relief," Krystal muttered.

This time, Falco measured out 130 milliliters of blood before removing both needles and wrapping up the transfuser. Suddenly, Kitty's head began to nod, and she fell against Phoenix, almost limp.

The fox caught her and asked worriedly, "You sure you didn't take too much?"

Falco shook his head. "She's just feeling a little faint after loosing so much blood. Just keep carrying her, and she'll be fine."

As Phoenix lifted Kitty onto his back again, he asked, "Hey Slippy, how much longer before I... how much time do I have left?"

_"__The estimates they give are pretty rough. Not more than four hour__s__ after contact... so mayb__e o__ne or two __more __hours?"_

Phoenix slowly released his breath. "Well, that sounds like long enough."

Without asking, Falco stuffed the transfuser into one of Phoenix's pockets. "Hey, keep it for later, okay? Maybe if something goes wrong... just to be safe."

Phoenix glanced at Falco, then at Krystal, nodding to her. "Alright; lead the way."

Krystal cast one last forlorn look at Phoenix before turning her back and slipping out the door.

* * *

After retracing the rest of their footsteps back to the loading bay, the three members of the Hunting Party slid to a stop underneath the wide entrance. A warning call rang out across the room, and several units of Cornerian troops sprang into action, prepared to do anything to keep the intruders from escaping. As the gas mask-wearing soldiers opened fire, Krystal lead Falco and Phoenix behind a pile of shipping crates for cover. Every few seconds, the vixen or avian would poke their heads out and fire off a few shots to keep the guards occupied.

"How are we gonna get out?" Krystal hissed, ducking back down behind a crate filled with microwavable food. "We can't take the main platform like we did getting in; we can't operate it, and even if we got on the elevator, there's no cover – we'd be sitting ducks!"

Falco crawled to the other side of the pile of crates, assessing the contents of the room.

"There's a stairway that leads to the surface on the left wall, but there are a couple of soldiers in the way. Krystal, you stay here and cover us. I'll take Phoenix around the corner and along the left wall. Once we get close to the guards, lob a smoke grenade into their position, and I'll take care of them in close quarters. As soon as you see us go into the smoke screen, run along the same path we took and discourage the rest of the guards from following us. Got it?"

Krystal nodded and waved her gun towards the exit. "Okay-okay! Just go!"

Falco dove and rolled from their current position to another stack of crates along the left wall, firing as he went. As soon as he was safely across, Phoenix ran with some difficulty across the open space, conscious of Kitty on his back. Several of the Cornerians left their cover to fire at him, but Falco and Krystal now occupied two of the four walls, giving them two different angles to provide cross fire from and effectively deter any attempt made on Phoenix and Kitty. As the Cornerians were driven back behind cover and forced to change their positions, Phoenix made it safely to Falco's side.

"You okay, Kitty?" he whispered over his shoulder.

The only answer he received was the cat's soft breath against his ear, tickling like a feather.

Falco grabbed his arm and motioned towards an empty supply cart. "We're moving to that cart next! You push and I'll cover us; we can take it all the way to the coffins."

"Got it," Phoenix acknowledged, immediately catching on to Falco's plan.

After a break in the laser bolts striking the other side of their cover, Falco and Phoenix scrambled to get behind the supply cart. Once there, Phoenix squatted down and, with some effort, began wheeling the cart towards their next line of cover; a stack of empty plastic coffins. As Phoenix slowly guided the cart, Falco crouched in front and fired over the rim. The cart took several hits of its own, each one making Phoenix flinch and hunker down further.

After a tedious minute, they reached the stack of coffins and left the cart behind. Just on the other side of the black plastic cases were the stairs to the surface, but also two Cornerian guards standing in their way. As planned, Krystal lobbed a smoke grenade from their original position towards the entrance to the stairs. The grenade bounced twice on the floor with two metallic "clinks" before rolling to a stop at the feet of the unlucky guards. Before the gas-masked Cornerians could react, the grenade released a large cloud of smoke into the air, obscuring both the guards and the exit.

Falco took his cue and dove into the cloud of smoke, with Phoenix and Kitty close behind. Phoenix had to squint his eyes upon entering the screen, as the fumes of smoke stung his eyes. All the vulpine could see were the silhouettes of two figures struggling against each other in the smoke. One – which he soon identified as Falco – easily gained the upper hand, swatting the soldier's gun away and dealing him a swift kick to the gut. _But where is the other guard?_

Just in time, Phoenix turned to find the black form of the second guard coming towards him, curls of white smoke rolling off of his figure. At first, the sight of the Cornerian's mask froze Phoenix in fear. The enemy stared out at the vulpine through two glass circles of eyes, dark and empty. A dark, chrome canister protruded from the left side of the mask's jaw, constantly filtering through the air and emitting an ominous, artificial breathing sound. Then, when Phoenix noticed the blaster glowing in the guard's hand, he sprang back into action.

It was awkward fighting with Kitty on his back, but he managed. Before the soldier could recognize Phoenix, the vulpine grabbed his gun and forced it to the side. The pair fought for control of the gun, leaning from side to side as they struggled to aim its barrel at each other.

Realizing he had no hope of overpowering the Cornerian, Phoenix ducked down to the ground with one swift movement, allowing the soldier to push the gun in his direction with more force than he had intended too. The guard fell over his back and sprawled on the floor, nearly knocking Kitty off in the process, but Phoenix let go of the gun and tightly held onto her. Quickly standing up, he drew his own blaster and shot the guard in the side before he could even recover. He felt a pang of regret, but lost the feeling immediately as Falco grabbed his arm again.

"You're both alive? Good! Now get to the stairs. Hurry!"  
Phoenix bumbled awkwardly through the smoke until he found the wall which he followed it to the entrance of the stairs. Finally, he entered the stairwell and began climbing towards the surface. With each step he took, the colder the air grew, but also the clearer it became. With a feeling of relief, he opened his eyes fully after squinting so long and deeply breathed in the clean air. When he reached the top, he found a large steel door blocking the exit. He jammed his fist against the lock button on the side of the door, changing the light above from red to green. Then, pressing all his weight against it, he pushed the door outwards.

A flood of white light nearly blinded him as the door cracked opened, followed by a large gust of snow and wind howling louder than a jet engine. When the opening was wide enough, Phoenix stepped out into the Fichinan landscape, but his foot found no ground, and he instead fell face first into several feet of snow.

As soon as he came into contact with the frigid flakes of ice, Phoenix immediately felt his entire body break into shivers. He had previously given his coat to Kitty, who now wore it while clinging to his back, leaving Phoenix just a pair of insulated flight pants and a long sleeve shirt that did nothing to keep the biting air out.

Struggling to his feet, Phoenix wondered why the door was positioned so high above the ground until he realized the extra height would ensure the door was never stuck behind a wall of snow.

Upon turning around, Phoenix watched as both Falco and Krystal jumped out of the stairwell and landed on either side of him.

"Go-go-go!" Falco urged him as he and Krystal took off running.

"We left them a little surprise with the extra explosives we had," Krystal explained, grabbing Phoenix's free arm and pulling him away from the morgue's entrance.

Before the trio made it over the next snow bank, an explosion rocked the earth beneath their feet and the top of the stairwell was blown off by a fiery burst of gas. Burning bits of rubble rained down on the surrounding area, dotting the snowscape with debris.

Still, this did not dissuade their enemies, as the soldiers emerged from the burning stairwell only moments later.

"Dammit," Krystal cursed as she raised her handguns and began picking the guards off from a distance.

"Alright, slight change of plans," Falco said, flustered. "Krystal, you and I will stay here and hold them off. Phoenix: you take Kitty and meet up with Slippy as fast as you can. After he picks you up, he can come get us."

Phoenix nodded, panting in the frigid air before turning around and running through the snow in the opposite direction. Behind him, he heard Krystal's gunshots rattle off one by one accompanied by the sound of Falco and the Cornerians' blasters.

As soon as he took off, he raised his wrist comm to his face and sent a message to Slippy, so thankful that after their brief mission on Zoness Krystal had elected to give him a communicator.

"Slippy, do you read me? It's Phoenix."

_"__Loud and clear, Phoenix. What's your status?"_

"We're all outside the compound. Falco sent me ahead while he and Krystal stay back closer to the base. I've got Kitty with me, so you should pick us up first."

_"__Alright, I'll bring the _Great Fox _to get you."_

"And Slippy... hurry, will ya? I'm out here without a coat, and it's freezing. I don't know how long Kitty and I will last. I'm sure she'll get pneumonia, or worse."

_"__Ha ha... and you won't?"_

Phoenix didn't answer for a minute, instead tramping through the snow in silence.

_"__Hello? Phoenix?"_

"No. I won't."

_"__Aaaalright... well, in that case, I'll see you soon. Slippy out."_

As his communication link with Slippy ended, Phoenix thought to himself, _What am I doing? Am I... am I really going to die?_

His heart began to beat faster, both from exertion and from fear.

* * *

Eventually, Phoenix lost track of time.

It seemed he had been marching for hours in the icy Fichinan tundra, and he felt almost frozen to the bone. The pure white landscape wasn't much to look at, and Kitty still seemed too weak to talk, so Phoenix was left to his internal thoughts. As he trudged up and downhill through the stinging sea of snow, his mind kept returning to the images of the two guards he had shot – the first clutching his stomach and falling into the abyss, the second with the gas mask, shot in the back. Both times, the gun shaking in his hands. They refused to go away, along with the other images that haunted his mind's eye. Krystal breaking down after coming across a random coffin, then after Phoenix had made up his mind to die and let the girl live. Kitty... floating in the pool of blue reservation liquid, tubes and wires extending from her body like some jellyfish or spider, her wondering eyes as she looked to him for guidance, her white, frail arm with a small stream of blood being stolen from it. And now she was clinging weakly to his back, silent.

Finally, he replayed the scene of Meinhard asking, "You're not a real bounty hunter, are you?"

The corners of his vision flickered, and he felt his eyelids drooping. He was going to die, he knew that much. If not from the cold, from the strange disease Andross's scientists had developed. He was freezing, weak, and strangely tired – it felt as if his mind was slipping away from him.

_So this is what it's like to be close to death._

After a few more minutes, his legs gave out, and he fell into the ocean of snow. He tried to lift himself back up, but his arms gave out. He could go no further. Phoenix's only hope was for Slippy or Falco and Krystal to find him – and find him soon. Otherwise, Kitty would die as well.

There was a sudden series of movements behind his back, and Kitty crawled over his side to be in front of him.

"Phoenix? Are... are you okay?"

Up to this point in his life, Phoenix had always wondered why adults so often lied to their children. Now... he understood.

"I'll be fine. I'm just a little tired, that's all."

"It's so cold... I can't stay awake."

"No, you have to stay awake. Whatever you do, don't fall asleep. Just keep talking." Phoenix put his arms around Kitty's small, shivering form and pulled her tightly against his chest. He felt a surge of warmth from her body, and knew that she must feel the same.

"Am I dying?" Kitty asked.

"No, of course not," Phoenix said.

"This is how I felt before they put me to sleep."

Slowly, Phoenix's mind seemed to be slipping away from him, sucked away by the cold wall of snow and air surrounding him.

"No... no, don't sleep. Don't fall asleep."

"I think I'm dying."

"No you're not," Phoenix repeated. "Don't... fall... asleep."

"Aren't you cold?" the cat asked.

"A little."

Kitty snuggled against him. "The others said you needed my blood to live... the one with blue fur really didn't want you to die."

"I'll be fine without it. We've... we've got to get you to your father."

"You're lying, aren't you?" she asked.

"No, I – "

"I can tell when you're lying. You gave me you're coat, and you won't take my blood. You don't want me to die... but I don't want you to, either."

"We just have to wait," Phoenix persisted. "A great big ship is coming to pick us up... it won't be much longer."

Without asking, Kitty threw the left side of her coat over Phoenix's side and covered him with it.

"Here, you'll freeze without it. I'm use to the freezing, before the sleep. I know if I fall asleep, I'll just wake up again. They froze me and put me to sleep, but you woke me up. You'll just wake me up again, won't you?"

Phoenix felt a sinking sensation in his heart and stomach. Kitty was right; she was going to die. The cold was getting to her, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Phoenix... I want you to live. They said you would die if you didn't take any of my blood. The blue one... she loves you... like mommy loved daddy. She looks at you like daddy looks at mommy's pictures."

Phoenix choked on a sob, and tears began to fill his eyes.

"When mommy died, daddy was really sad. I don't want the blue girl to feel like that. Please, take my blood. I don't need it anymore."

Phoenix couldn't hold back any longer; the salty tears began to slip down his face and freeze to his cheeks. "Kitty, I-I can't."

"If I'm going to sleep, I want to know that you're alive. Please, you have to take it. You have to."

The vulpine tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but he couldn't. He was freezing, he was crying, his vision was failing him, both he and Kitty were dying, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He was powerless to save Kitty no matter what he did, but it would be senseless to die with her. She was trying to convince him of that.

Phoenix had a hard time accepting it, but finally he gave in.

Reluctantly, he slipped his hand into his pocket and produced the transfuser, the instrument trembling in his hands. Under the cover of his winter coat, he unwrapped the plastic tubes and gingerly placed one end into the vein in his arm, just as he had watched Falco do it. Then, taking ahold of Kitty's arm, he whispered, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," before carefully pressing it into her vein.

He worked the pump end of the syringe while staring at the counter, struggling to read it as his vision was slowly going black. "I'm sorry, Kitty," he kept repeating as he watched the blood flow between their arms. Finally, he was able to make out how much blood he had taken, and he removed the needles from their arms. He drew Kitty closer to himself and kept repeating his apology over and over again, sobbing. "I'm so sorry..."

Slowly, her body went as cold as the snow surrounding him.

* * *

This time, Laurence the bodyguard let them pass immediately.

Phoenix lead the way into Meinhard's greeting room, carrying the small white body wrapped tightly in his coat, still as ice.

The gray Siberian cat rushed over to the vulpine, carefully lifting the bundle out of his arms. After removing the folds of the coat to reveal Kitty's serene, peaceful face, tears sprang to the feline's eyes once again.

"Thank you... thank you so much," he whispered. "You know how relieved I am to finally have her back."

This time around, the mood was so somber that even Krystal withheld her inappropriate comments.

Cradling the dead body in his arms, Meinhard asked, "Did you... did you ever find out why they withheld her from me?"

For a minute, none of the Hunting Party spoke. Then, clearing his throat, Falco explained, "The uh... pirates had taken her to one of Andross's research centers. She contracted a highly dangerous disease they had developed, and died."

At this lie, Phoenix clenched his fists and felt a strong urge to speak up, but he held his tongue. He understood that it would be bad for the team if Kitty's father knew she hadn't actually been dead, but they had let her die anyway.

"The Cornerians kept her body preserved so they could study the effects. That's why they never let you have Kitty back – she was too valuable to them. It's sickening, when you think about it, but they were going to use her to bolster their bio-weapons supply. We uh... decontaminated her with our ship's facilities, so the disease she had isn't contagious anymore."

"We're sorry for your loss," Slippy concluded, looking at the floor.

"Yeah," Krystal agreed, rubbing her arm.

"I... appreciate your concern," the Siberian cat said, thanking them. "Now please, I would like a moment alone with her. Laurence will see to it that you're paid."

"Thank you, sir," Falco said. The avian turned and headed out the door, and the rest of his team followed. But before Phoenix could leave, the feline called him back.

"You, fox; wait."

Phoenix stopped in the doorway and turned.

"I want to have a word with you."

Phoenix glanced back at his teammates, but Falco nodded for him to comply. The vulpine shut the door behind him, then took a seat in front of Meinhard.

"You faltered the last time we saw each other, when I asked if you were actually a bounty hunter or not. I trust you have given it some more thought?"

Phoenix nodded, slowly. "The question's kinda stuck with me, sir."

Meinhard sat down opposite him on the couch, carefully holding Kitty's limp body. "So... why did you become one?"

"It was... in the spur of the moment, I guess. We just happened to run into each other, during one of their missions. I was just... bored... so I tagged along for the ride. One of them got drunk and invited me on the team. I've just stuck with them ever since. It's been exciting, most of the time. But I don't like killing people – even in self defense. Even to save your girl."

Phoenix lifted his head to look Meinhard in the eye. "You're daughter's the only person I've ever killed for, sir."

Meinhard gave him a pathetic chuckle. "Seems like a waste to kill for someone who's already dead."

Phoenix paused for a moment, debating internally. He looked down at the floor again, searching for the courage to speak up.

"She wasn't dead, sir. Not when we found her."

At the vulpine's admission, Meinhard said, "I knew you weren't like them. Please, tell me what happened. I think I should know. And if you're afraid it will endanger your group's contract; relax, they have already fulfilled it. This is just for my own sake now."

Phoenix sighed. "The Cornerians put her into hibernation like we told you, but she wasn't dead. When we unfroze her body, she was alive. But unfreezing her also released the biochemicals in her body, and my friends and I were infected. The only cure was to take her blood... and we all ended up doing it. We would have died otherwise."

"I see... and how did you become so attached to her? I can see it in your eyes. You came back changed from this mission."

"I just... felt sorry for her. She was so sweet – she didn't deserve any of what happened to her. I carried her around for a while, and ended up killing for the first time to protect her. At first I refused to take her blood, but then... we got back to the surface and went on alone back to our ship, but we nearly froze to death. She told me to take her blood, because she knew people would be sad if I died. She mentioned you mourning for your wife..."

Meinhard went silent for a minute, seemingly lost in thought.

"Thank you, Mr... what's your name?"

"Just call me Phoenix, sir."

"Thank you, Phoenix, for being honest with me. You've really done a service by staying with my daughter in her last moments."

"I... I wish I could thank her, too."

"Hmm? Why?"

"Your daughter showed me the reason I'm still a bounty hunter."

* * *

**A/N: Yay for Graduation! Wahoooo! Sorry for ruining the mood...**


	12. Until It's Gone Part 1: Clones

**Chapter 12: Until It's Gone**

**Part 1: Clones**

* * *

"Welcome to Sargasso Spaceport!" Krystal exclaimed, mimicking a tour guide's persona and flinging the doors to the interior open. "The home of Corneria's Public Enemy Number 1, and the rest of Lylat's most wanted. Next to the Yellow Jack, this is our favorite stop for socializing and picking up contracts."

Phoenix took the vixen's hint and entered the spaceport ahead of the rest of the Hunting Party, curiously gazing around the hub's interior. The large atrium was dimly lit by blue and green led lights that ran along the walls, floor, and ceiling of the port, giving it the feel of a rave club or barroom. Hundreds of circular chrome tables carpeted the floor, the patrons of which seemed to be the lowest of criminal miscreants.

"You will never find a more retched hive of scum and villainy," Krystal added, stepping over to his side. Placing a hand on his shoulder and whispering in his ear, the Cerinian began pointing out different criminals to Phoenix. "You see that group of monkeys and lizards over there? They're neo-Androssians left over from the Lylat Wars. They fled Andross in his last moments and went back to the former life they came from. If there was one thing the mad ape was good at, it was uniting scum like that. But take Andross out of the picture, and, well... his ranks of "loyal soldiers" fall apart completely, trying to cover their own tails. They specialize as mercenaries."

Next, Krystal pointed to a table occupied by coyotes, jackrabbits, and bearded dragon lizards, all of whom wore desert-patterned garb. "You see them?" Krystal continued, "They claim to be freedom-fighters from Titania, though I think terrorists is a better word. What, you didn't know people existed on Titania? It's not all sand and... sandstorms. During the Lylat Wars, the Cornerians stopped by to liberate them from Andross – and they haven't left since. The story is the same on most planets, like Aquas, for example."

"What do they see of value on Titania?" Phoenix asked.

"Baharat," Krystal said, shrugging. "Some sort of drug the Cornerian elites are all addicted to. I've never had any, but I'm willing to try it. Falco's addicted to the stuff, though the black market's the only place you can get it without going through the military. You can even buy some here." Then, catching sight of another group of criminals, she brought them to Phoenix's attention. "See those shady bastards over there? Assassins, all of them. For the most part, they never gang up – unless it's for a poker game. Otherwise, they're all lone wolves." Krystal nodded to one of the closer members. "The black panther there; she's called the Black Mamba, also known as the most dangerous assassin of the Lylat. She's so good, she made 107 successful hits last year with a one hundred percent success rate – not one failed contract. And get this, the Cornerian pigs don't have the faintest notion she even exists."

Phoenix chuckled, nervously. "Sounds like you're jealous of her."

Krystal nodded wholeheartedly. "She's my role model. I've never crossed her before, unlike most members of the criminal underworld, but if I did... I have a feeling she'd be the only one who'd make it out alive. Trust me, do not get on the wrong side of that bitch. In fact, don't try to get on any of her sides."

Falco suppressed a yawn and said, "Come on; let's find a table already."

"I was just showing Lionheart the ropes. Sheesh!"

The four members of the Hunting Party made their way to a nearby table not too far from the spaceport's bar. As soon as they sat down, however, something seemed to catch Slippy's attention, and he immediately jumped back up.

"What is it, Slip?" Falco asked, eyeing the amphibian.

"Just some buds from Aquas," Slippy said, gesturing to a table filled with other frogs and salamanders. "I'll only be a minute."

"Knock yourself out," Falco said, dismissively waving his hand.

As Slippy hopped off to greet his friends, Falco muttered, "Geez, I've never seen anyone so attached to their homeworld before."

"Well, I can understand, I guess," Phoenix offered, defending Slippy. "I feel the same way about Corneria, but I'd even feel more worried about it if a war was going on."

"I can't imagine anyone being homesick for that shithole," Krystal said, spitting.

"No, really; it's a nice place. From the inside, when you live a complacent life, you don't notice all the corruption. But Falco; you must feel the same way about _your_ homeworld, right? Come on, you have to feel a little homesick for... Katina? Papetoon?"

"Zoness."

Phoenix opened his mouth to respond, but froze with his jaw open after Falco's statement.

Zoness. Wasteland. He had seen the destruction and ruin firsthand when he and Krystal had been marooned there.

"Oh... I uh... I didn't know."

For Falco, that seemed to be the end of their short conversation. Ignoring Phoenix, he reached under his seat and lifted a hookah-looking device onto the table. It seemed more modern and futuristic than the ornamental ones Phoenix sometimes saw Titanian immigrants using, though the basic design was still the same. Falco turned a nob on the device, heating up the shisha's contents and causing several different colors of gasses to swirl at the top of the water jar, giving it the illusion of a rainbow cloud. Perhaps he was smoking the "baharat" Krystal mentioned before.

Before Phoenix could attempt to patch things up with Falco, a familiar figure sat down opposite them; Jax Taylor.

"I'm back," the hulking vulpine said in a thick, gravely accent. The rival bounty-hunter wasn't alone, however; a red-furred panda wearing a white karate gi and headband stood next to him, bouncing comically back and forth on his feet as if he were warming up for a fight.

"Who's this Ryu wannabe?" Krystal asked, nodding to the red panda.

Pushing his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose, Jax responded, "This new partner; Kung Furry."

At the sound of his name, the red panda suddenly shouted "HIYAAAA!" and raised his fist into the air via swift uppercut.

"Oh god, there's more of them," Krystal breathed in amazement, as if she had discovered a new species.

Falco merely rolled his eyes and sat smoking on his bench seat, silently enjoying the numbing effects of the... space hookah.

"You were called here for the same reason, right?" Krystal asked, leaning forwards on the table. "To fight back the invasion force?"

Before Jax could answer in his usual grunt, Kung Furry exclaimed, "HAI!"

"Excuse me, but what's all this about?" Phoenix asked, glancing at Krystal next to him. "I still don't know what's going on."

"The Cornerians are staging an attack," Krystal explained, looking around anxiously for a waiter to serve them drinks. "Sargasso Spaceport is the largest criminal hideout in the System. It was abandoned by space pirates shortly before the Lylat Wars, but was rediscovered by Venomians after they passed through the Meteo asteroid belt to invade Corneria. After the fall of the Empire, the Star Wolf team – who had been working for Andross – lead a band of outlaws here and reopened the place for business, in a manner of speaking. It's grown a lot since then, and is now known as the capitol of the criminal underworld. For a long time, it's been a thorn up the Cornerian government's ass, and they've never been able to do anything about it. It's too dangerous to mount an assault on Sargasso, as cruisers and battleships would just get wrecked by asteroids if they tried to enter the field. But now we think they may have found a way to transport a large army in, and are preparing to do just that. So, Star Wolf called most of the criminals in the System to come to Sargasso's aid. And I must say; I've never seen the place so packed before."

"Those Cornerian dogs will be no match for my new partner!" the beefy bounty-hunter grunted. "Watch this. Kung Furry, what is best in life?"

The red panda suddenly sat down and slammed his fist on the table. "To roundhouse kick your enemies, to see them running with tails between their legs before you, and to hear the sorrowful cries of their women!"

Proudly crossing his arms and nodding, Taylor said, "I taught him that."

"Yeah, uh, one question," Krystal asked innocently, tracing an invisible design into the black chrome table. "How are you going to fight them?"

Looking confusedly at Taylor, Kung Furry asked, "Kanojo wa nan to iimashita ka?"

"We will fight them WITH OUR FISTS!" the vulpine said triumphantly, raising a clenched fist into the air.

"Fistu PUNCHU!" Kung Furry echoed as he mimicked Taylor's gesture.

"But there's no oxygen in space," Krystal said, patronizing them. "How will you breath without a ship?"

"With our helicopter."

"HERICOPTERU DE!"

"You guys are just..." Krystal covered her face with her hands, hopelessly.

Saving the three members of the Hunting Party from the orgy of stupidity, a new bounty-huntress stopped by the table, immediately catching Phoenix's eye. The newcomer was a fiery red-furred vixen dressed in a black leather catsuit that did little more than accentuate her perfect curves.

Catching Phoenix with her crystal blue eyes, the red vixen said, "Why hello there; you must be new around here, aren't you?"

"Fuck off; he's mine." Krystal absently warned, finally getting her hands on a drink.

After scowling at the blue-furred fox, she turned her attention back to Phoenix and asked, "May I sit here?" indicating the seat next to him.

Phoenix swallowed and nervously adjusted his shirt's collar before answering. "Uh, sure, I guess. If you want to. I mean I don't mind – "

Swinging her lithe legs over Phoenix's bench, the vixen scooted closer to him until her hips pressed against his, quickly setting Phoenix's face ablaze. Leaning forward, she presented Phoenix with a credit card-sized piece of stationary.

"My card. Saves introduction time," she explained.

Accepting the card, Phoenix held it in front of him and attempted to read it, though his eyes were constantly distracted by the vixen's ample bust, halfway exposed by the unzipped front of her leather catsuit. The card was colored rose-red and engraved with polished ruby lettering that bore her alias and contact information.

Glancing back and forth between the business card and the vixen's pleasing chest, Phoenix read aloud, "Scarlet Altruis: Gaia Corporation. Private Mercenary/Assassin. My face is... up... here..."

Blushing even more furiously than before, Phoenix quickly looked up at Scarlet's blue eyes and grinned apologetically.

Taking a swig from her bottle of some form of alcohol, Krystal scoffed, "Really, Scarlet? You're so self-absorbed you'd put _that_ as the tagline of your business card?"

Grinning enchantingly at Phoenix, Scarlet replied, "Like I said; it saves time. It also gets me contracts."

"Though not the kind of contracts your business card mentions, eh, Cynthia?"

Finally taking her eyes away from Phoenix, Scarlet glared at Krystal and said, "You know, I never really liked Cerinians. They have this certain... privacy-violating ability they like to show off at parties when they get drunk. Such as guessing people's names, for example."

"Oh yeah? You wanna see _my_ business card?" Impulsively, Krystal tore the label off her bottle before scribbling on it and holding it up for Scarlet to see. "It says "Krystal: The Hunting Party. Tagline: Fuck off!""

The vixens' argument was interrupted as a scruffy-looking gorilla waiter stopped by their table to serve Scarlet. Thinking pensively and licking her lips, the bounty-huntress said, "I'll have scorpion tail spiced rum, thank you."

Scratching his butt, the gorilla walked away and mumbled, "Beer it is."

"Dammit," Scarlet cursed. Turning her attention back to Phoenix, she rested her head on her elbow and played absently with her catsuit's zipper. "So, I've given you my name; how about you return the favor? Unlike _others_ at this table, I can't read your mind for it."

"Oh, sorry. It's Phoenix."

"Phoenix..." Scarlet said, testing the name out. "Well, it sounds like your parents were tryhards, but it's more creative than the last one, right, Krystal?"

Krystal's face suddenly became sullen. She warned in a quiet voice, "Drop it, Scarlet... please."

"Alright, alright; sorry. But I must say, Krystal; you sure can pick 'em. A little more muscle on his bones, and you'd have a real prize here... though you'd have some stiff competition from me."

As Phoenix glanced bashfully away from Scarlet, the vixen cocked her head and joked, "What's the matter? Don't know how to act around women? You must get so lonely stuck on that overgrown can of tuna with only three other men to look at." Leaning in closer to Phoenix, she whispered in a soft, seductive voice, "You know, once we get some free time after this mission, I'm sure you and I could arrange a little... _meeting _somewhere, don't you think?"

Phoenix stammered in response. "Um, uh, heh-heh, well – "

Scooting closer to Phoenix on his left side, Krystal leaned forward and snarled at Scarlet. "Lay off, will ya? Stop teasing him."

Phoenix froze in place, awkwardly glancing back and forth between the two vixens invading his personal space from both sides.

"Oooh, what's this?" Scarlet said in mock surprise. "Are you jealous of me _again, _Krystal? Over a little runt like him?"

"What?!" Krystal exclaimed, indignantly. "Pssh! Of course not! How low do you think I'd stoop!? I'd rather take Slippy than Phoenix any day! You, on the other hand – "

Suddenly getting defensive, Scarlet interrupted, "Wait just a minute, do you think I'd really actually do it with him? You know I'm only flirting with him to make you jealous, right? I'd rather do it with... with Andross than Phoenix."

"Oh yeah?" Krystal retorted, "Well I'd rather do it with Andross in his _brain-form_ than him!"

"Well _I'd_ rather bed a goras!"

"Um, girls, I'm right here, you know..."

Finally acknowledging him, Krystal said, "Sorry, Phoenix; no offense. But this is between Scarlet and me!"

"Apologies, Phoenix. As I said before, though you're lacking in stature, you're actually pretty handsome at that. Put on a little more muscle, and I might actually go for you."

"Oh please!" Krystal sarcastically exclaimed. "You're old enough to be his mom!"

"You know, with my kind of luck, I'd probably turn out to be his mom at that."

The three vulpines simultaneously froze, exchanging glances as an awkward silence ensued.

Falco's definitely stoned voice suddenly broke the silence. "Krystal... would you... would you really get it on with Andross's brain?"

Turning to the avian, Krystal growled, "Well you're as high as shit, aren't you?"

Slowly exhaling a cloud of multicolored smoke, Falco replied, "Woah, yeah... at least... I think I am. I'm sorry, I've got to... got to figure this one out for myself. Just... just ignore me. I need to do this on my own." Emitting a short, high-pitched laugh, Falco exclaimed, "Andross's brain! Geez Louise... and he had... brain tentacles!"

"Oh, _shokushu_!" Kung Furry said, nodding.

"Sorry for spoiling your little reunion," Leon interrupted as he and Panther stopped by their table, "But we have some business to attend to."

"What I want to know is who invited _her!?_" Krystal said, pointing angrily at Scarlet. "Your "Boss?""

Panther rolled his eyes. "Yes, we summoned everyone here, regardless of occupation, skill level, or affiliation. But I must say, _you, _Krystal, were at the top of the list." Clearing his throat, the feline added in a hushed voice, "By the way, would you please go out with me after the mission is – "

As Krystal took another swig from her bottle, she handed Panther her makeshift business card, cutting him off. The unsuspecting leopard took the card and squinted at it, mouthing the words he read before disappointedly throwing the card back to Krystal.

Elbowing Scarlet on the other side of Phoenix, Krystal agreed, "You're right; it _does_ save time."

"I'll have my employer print some off specially for you," Scarlet offered.

"Alas; rejected again," Panther lamented. "Well, with that out of the way, I think it's time we get down to business. May we use your table?"

"Sure, I don't see why not – " Krystal responded before both Panther and Leon leapt onto their table. Leon signaled to the sound booth opposite the bar, and the operator immediately cut the music and turned a spotlight on the two members of Star Wolf.

"Ladies and others!" Panther shouted, trying to get everyone's attention.

When that failed, Leon drew his blaster and fired it at the ceiling. The initial noise was enough to draw the crowd's attention, though a crystal chandelier dropped to the ground shortly after, crushing several unfortunate bounty hunters.

"Er, thank you, Powalski," Panther mumbled. "Now that we have your attention, it is time to get this show on the road. Most of you probably know why you were called here, but I must stress the details. And if I find anyone _not _paying attention, my partner Leon here will shoot them _between the eyes_. Do I make myself clear?"

The atrium was silent, except for Falco sitting at the pair's feet, who merely gasped in awe.

Ignoring him, Panther continued. "So, let's do a little review. For as long as we can remember, the Cornerians have always been after this hideout and the network we have across the Sargasso region. But, due to the asteroid density of Meteo, and Sargasso's prime location next to Solar, they have never been able to wedge a fleet in here. This time around, however, is different. Intelligence has warned us that the Cornerians were able to dig up several of Andross's Meteo Crushers on Venom. That's right; Meteo Crushers, Sargasso's only bane, the same build Andross used to penetrate the asteroid field on his way to Corneria. Now the Cornerians have them, and are about to turn them on us. They're amassing a fleet between Corneria and Meteo, the vanguards of which are three Meteo Crushers. Due to this threat, we have called an emergency blitz to counteract the Cornerian's strike operation. We don't do this often; Sargasso tries to be the bastion of Anarchy in the Lylat, but there are _some_times when a little teamwork and submission to leadership are needed. Now, before you start complaining, you know we only do this in the hour of darkest need under the most _extreme_ of circumstances. Just last year, we called an emergency blitz to free the Papetoon distilleries from Cornerian control, did we not?"

"YEAH BEER!" The gorilla waiter from before shouted.

"Last year, it was your livelihood and the entire spirit of the Lylat System at stake! Now, our very existence and unity is being challenged! If you fought for your right to alcohol, how much more so will you fight for your freedom to plunder and kill!? Now who's with me!?"

The interior of the Sargasso spaceport erupted with a thunderous wave of cheers as criminals raised their mugs into the air and pounded their tables in agreement. Amidst all of the commotion and cheering, Leon suddenly hopped down off the table and tapped Phoenix on the shoulder.

Whispering in his ear, the chameleon said, "I nearly forgot; the Boss wants to see you in his office."

Phoenix gulped. "The _Boss?"_

Leon nodded. "The Boss. Now, Kongu over here will take you back. Just follow him, and don't get lost."

"Uh, alright." With some difficulty, Phoenix extricated himself from the vixen sandwich before following the gorilla waiter into the back of the barroom.

As he left the atrium he could heard Panther's instructions fading behind him: "Now, we are fortunate enough to have two pilots among us who have actually fought _and destroyed _a Meteo Crusher before. Falco and Slippy, would you please come up here and give the boys a run down on how to take one out? What's that? Falco's completely stoned? Not again... alright, Slippy can do a better job anyway..."

* * *

The waiter lead Phoenix down a dingy hallway lit by plain, fluorescent lights in stark contrast to the expensive neon lights that decorated the atrium. Stopping by a door bearing a golden plaque which read "O'Donnell," the gorilla gave the entrance a firm knock with his hairy fist. After an unintelligible grunt came from the interior, the waiter opened the door and held it for Phoenix to slip through.

Once inside, Phoenix awkwardly turned back towards the gorilla, but he had already closed the door between them, trapping him inside. Phoenix turned around again, this time taking in his surroundings and hunting for "The Boss." The office was nearly pitch black, only lit by the ambient light of space seeping in between the slats of a set of blinds – the effect of which cast a series of bright stripes across room's interior. A dark wooden desk filled the center of the room, covered in mess of paper documents and folders, half-full or empty glass mugs catching the minimal light and reflecting it like pockets of crystals, and a polished silver ashtray littered with cigarette butts. Upon a shelf to the left of the desk sat an old-fashioned radio quietly playing what sounded like electronic-styled swing, but it was hard to make out.

A gray, sprite-like trail of smoke suddenly rose into the air in front of the blind-covered windows, catching Phoenix's attention. The vulpine realized he was not alone in the room as he had previously thought; a large indiscernible figure sat with his feet up on the desk and a cigarette smoldering between his lips. As he drew a puff from the cigarette, the figure's sole eye caught and reflected the orange light, revealing it was fixated attentively on Phoenix.

Beginning to grow discomforted, Phoenix cleared his throat and spoke up. "Uh, Mr. O'Donnell... sir? Is that you? It's kinda hard to see... in here..."

The figure grinned, revealing a sharp set of canine teeth. Next, he snubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and spoke, revealing a thick Texan accent. "Well then, you must be Phoenix. Sorry about the reception; the light hurts my eye and I wanted to study you for a bit. Go on, open the blinds if you want."

Doing as he was bid, Phoenix stepped over to the windows and fumbled with the drawstrings in the dark. There was something about The Boss's voice that commanded authority – the Texan accent, the low pitch, the gravelly air it possessed – whatever it was, his speech revealed years of influence and power.

Once he had raised the blinds, the silver light from space illuminated O'Donnell's features, revealing him as a strongly-built lupine. His left eye was covered by a black eye patch, and probably had been lost some years prior in a grizzling tail Phoenix knew he would have enjoyed hearing. The wolf wore a white silk shirt and black vest with a red velvet tie, giving him the appearance of a wealthy mob boss. Both his right arm and leg, however, were replaced with robotic appendages, adding to his intimidating character.

"Nice to meet you, Phoenix. Have a seat, won't you?"

Once again, Phoenix followed his command and sat down opposite the lupine. Venturing a question, he asked, "So... you wanted to see me?"

"That's right; I wanted to see you in person. Leon and Panther told me a bit about you a while back... mostly mentioning your bravery and courage when you set yourself up as a target for a knife-throwing game."

"Yeah, well, I did throw up afterwards... the decision was motivated by fear, actually. Krystal gave me a choice; have knives thrown close by me or _at _me."

"Heh, that Krystal's literally a killer dame, ain't she..." the lupine mused. Taking his feet off the desk, O'Donnell leaned forward and studied Phoenix carefully. "You know, when Leon and Panther told me who you looked like, I didn't believe them at first. But now that I can actually see you... you look just like the old pup."

"Excuse me? I look like who?"

O'Donnell leaned back in his chair and scratched his tuft of white chin hair. "You mean they haven't told you? You've been with Krystal and Falco for several months now, and they _still _haven't told you?"

"Mr. O'Donnell, I-I don't get it. Told me what?"

"Look, Phoenix – you can call me Wolf, by the way – do you know the former name of the Hunting Party? I know the Cornerians censored and removed a lot of their history from the archives, but I'd like to see just how much."

"Yeah, they were called Star Fox, right?"

"Right. And do you know _why _they were called Star Fox?"

Phoenix paused with his mouth open, about to give the same answer he had given Slippy when they first met, but he held his tongue. "No. I thought it was named after Krystal, but I have a sneaking suspicion I was wrong."

"Hmm, smart..." Wolf glanced around his desk for a pair of empty glasses – not an easy task. Finally locating a couple, he grabbed a bottle of gin and poured a little into the glasses before handing one to Phoenix. "Here – you'll need it."

"Uh, sure. Thanks," Phoenix replied awkwardly as he accepted the glass and swirled the liquid around a bit to put off actually drinking the contents.

After draining half of his own glass, Wolf continued. "You see, there once were _four _members of Star Fox, years ago... and Krystal wasn't one of them. Perhaps I should start with their formation... that seems better. The mercenary group was founded by a fox by the name of James McCloud. So, that's how you get the name, "Star Fox." Really creative, I know, though I'm one to talk; I named my team Star Wolf, after all. Eventually, James died, passing on the role of leader to his son, Fox McCloud. Now, this is where _you_ come in. They say everyone in the world has a doppelganger, but I didn't believe it 'til I met you. You're the spittin' image of Fox McCloud."

As Wolf got deeper into his story, the up-beat electro swing flawlessly changed to jazz blues marked by a mournful saxophone intro.

"This was the Fox McCloud that lead Star Fox during the Lylat Wars, and the same Fox who single-handedly defeated Andross. After being celebrated as heroes back on Corneria, they continued in their mercenary business and eventually landed a contract for a mission on the planet Sauria. There Fox met someone very familiar to the both of us; Krystal. It was your classic damsel-in-distress angle. That lucky vulpine rescued Krystal from – get this – a _crystal _prison, and they immediately fell in love."

Here Wolf stopped, taking another drink from his glass and forcing Phoenix to put the remaining pieces together himself.

"So, what you're saying is I remind Krystal of this "Fox McCloud" guy, is that it?"

"Go on," Wolf said, waving his hand for more.

"And that's why she wanted me on the team... in the first place..."

Laughing drily, the lupine joked, "Well it wasn't because of your wicked skill, I can tell you that. Besides your species, facial features, and fur color, you and that old pup are nothing alike. He was my greatest rival, you see; he was righteously tempered, courageously stupid, an ace pilot and gunmen... plus he had a little more abs than you."

Ignoring Wolf's last comment, Phoenix asked, "Then what happened to him? Why isn't _he_ on the team now?"

Wolf's amused smile faded, and he shifted in his chair. "Now we get to the hard part of the story. Fox and Krystal; you've never seen two lovebirds as attached as them before. Too bad it didn't last long. Only a few years after they met each other, Star Fox got a rather weighty mission from the Cornerian government. You have to understand; at the time the two were still buddy-buddies, and Fox and co. had never guessed the darker side of Corneria. They were invited to take part in Operation Binder Clip, which is... how do I explain this – "

"Actually, I'm familiar with it," Phoenix said, glad the conversation had strayed back into familiar territory. "It was a military and scientific directive where the Cornerian government tried to round up all of Andross's scientists and technology."

"Oh... guess you're brighter than you look," Wolf admitted. "Well, the Cornerians found a few references in Andross's personal files to a bioweapon he had been working on; some sort of intelligent fish creature or something. The Cornerians thought they might be useful in subduing the rebellion on Aquas – it being one big ocean and all – so they hired Star Fox to look into it. They eventually located the lab Andross was using to develop the bioweapons, but they needed the entry code, or they risked blowing up the entire facility. I was in the pokey at the time, and happened to be one of the few higher-ups who had access to the room, so they brought me along to get them in. When I let them inside the lab, and Fox and Krystal realized what the experiments would be used for, they refused to hand over the datalogs. A fire-fight broke out in the lab, and all the members of Star Fox were trapped inside. The Cornerians threatened to blow the place sky-high unless Fox handed over the data, but that self-righteous bastard came up with his own plan. He took the data pack and went alone to the Cornerians, only to open the hangar door as soon as he handed it over. Venom's atmosphere did the rest. None of them... none of them in the hangar were left alive. Not even Fox."

"How... how did Krystal take it?" Phoenix asked in a somber voice.

"Well... not too good. The rest of us managed to get out of there, and I of course went my own way, but I heard the Cornerians got a hold of Krystal shortly afterwards. They must have tortured her awfully – physically and mentally. That combined with the loss of Fox..."

Wolf trailed off, downing the rest of his gin. "When she came back I barely recognized her. After that, she was so... hateful. Vicious. Cold. With her knight in shining armor dead, and her dream gone, she was forced to do all the dirty work herself. Now labeled an outlaw, she had to turn Star Fox into a mere bounty-hunting organization. Falco and Slippy didn't make it out so well, either. Falco does his best to keep Krystal in check and the team together, but you can tell he's carrying a dead horse. I've never seen Slippy fly an arwing since; without Fox to encourage him, he's just lost faith in himself. And that, my friend, is the dark and sad tail of the tragic demise and twisted rebirth of the Star Fox team."

After a minute of silence except for the sorrowful saxophone playing in the background, Phoenix asked, "So, what's your point?"

Wolf huffed. "My _point? _My point is you're just a replacement for Fox, kid. Krystal lost her first love, was devastated by it, and now she thinks some skinny scrub like you can take his place. Don't you see how messed-up and twisted this whole thing is? To her you're just another version of Fox, nothing more than his twin – a clone!"

Suddenly feeling a rebellious conviction, Phoenix repeated, "Yeah, so what's your point?"

"Get out while you still can, kid, before she's awakened to the yellow-bellied wuss you really are. Face it, she wants you to live up to the hero Fox was, and you can't be expected to do that. No one can do that. Hell, _I_ couldn't even do that, but I'm only saying this 'cause he's dead. You can't let her live in some fantasy world where Fox is still alive. You know that, right?"

Phoenix merely stared back at the lupine, challenging him silently.

"Please, Phoenix... don't make me beg. If you stick around, you're going to have some messed-up shit done to you. And – if you stick around even longer – you may find yourself doing some pretty messed-up stuff yourself. Face it; everything is fine as it is. Krystal may have gone through a lot, but she's come out stronger because of it. I've come out stronger because of it. If you come in and screw with her like this, her minds gonna get fucked up. Just by you being around for her to look at, you're going to bring up some bad memories. You'll get her stuck between the girl she once was and the woman she is now. Do you really want that?"

"No... but somehow, I just can't bear the thought of leaving her alone. I think I can make everything right again."

"Don't get too cocky, _pup – _" Wolf began, but suddenly broke off. Pouring himself another drink, he sighed and replied calmly, "Alright. Have it your way. But get out. _Now._"

Suddenly wary of the lupine, Phoenix stood up and made for the door. Before he could leave O'Donnell's office, however, the wolf halted him.

"Hey, uh, one last thing. Promise me you'll do your best to keep her in line and out of too much trouble, okay? With her bloodlust and impulsiveness, that vixen's a real liability for the Sargasso Syndicate. She might get herself killed one of these days."

Pausing halfway through the door, Phoenix asked without looking back, "Is that a threat?"

Wolf laughed whole-heartedly, changing the channel on his radio set to something more pleasant. "Maybe..."

* * *

** A/N: The first order of business is to credit the original character of Scarlet to K.S. Reynard, who so kindly gave me permission to use her in this story. I'm sure most of you recognized her, but for those of you who didn't... the heck's wrong with you? You haven't read _The Oasis? _Geez, where have you been. I admit, I took some liberties with her character, such as making her more flirtatious, but hey, it's _The __Hunting Party_, and no one's the same. And, of course, Jax Taylor returned from earlier in the story. Again, credit for his character goes to Razorblade88.**

** On another note, Sheppard Studios is hosting a new one-shot contest much like the one ****K.S. Reynard and Emile the Watcher hosted ****two years ago. This time, instead ****of Christmas-themed entries, the working prompt is to write an origin story ****for ****or an in-depth study of one of the minor characters. ****Nothing's concrete yet; everyone involved is still trying to come up with a solid prompt and actual rules, etc. ****So, if you enjoyed reading the stories from the contest from two years ago, I'm sure you'll enjoy the slew of new one-shots about to hit the archive. ****And, for any authors reading this, consider joining. To get a better idea of the contest, read Sheppard's story titled **_**Studio Productions **_**or check out the forum ****_HS Star Fox 2015 One-Shot Contest, _****which can be found on the first page of the forums section.**

** I still haven't come up with a good sign off yet. Let me think... ah, here's a good one:**

** El Psy Congroo!**


	13. Until It's Gone Part 2: Seek and Destroy

**Chapter 13: Until It's Gone**

**Part 2: Seek and Destroy**

* * *

Closing O'Donnell's door behind him, Phoenix slumped against it and let out a deep breath. Had dealing with the boss of the criminal underworld really left him _that _drained? Man, he sure had pressed his luck by challenging the lupine. But somehow, he made it out alive.

Pushing himself off the door, he set off towards the bar. After exiting the dimly lit back hallway, he entered the clubroom. It was only then that the full weight of what transpired hit him. As the gravity of Wolf's story sank in, Phoenix found himself lost in a swirling whirlwind of emotions, realizations, and harsh truths.

The wolf was right; Phoenix was little more than a clone, a replacement part to a machine much too small to fulfill his role. It wasn't because of his instinctive courage that Krystal picked him up, nor because she needed a hostage. It was because he was a walking deadman to her – the living ghost of a lost lover. This "Fox" character... was _he _the true protagonist of the Star Fox rumors? The one all the stories revolved around? The missing piece? And Phoenix; he just happened to look like him?

As Phoenix pressed on through the atrium, he felt like a zombie; the weight of his thoughts causing him to lose his sense of reality and self-awareness. The barroom's flashing strobes and neon display lights dazzled his vision, but did little to cheer him up. The cavorting bounty hunters, smugglers, and criminals having a good time all around him didn't help, either. He was oblivious to it all.

Like a senseless ghost out of touch with reality, Phoenix moved on, floating through the barroom's sea of fanfare. Krystal... why did he care about her? What did he really feel about her? Was it romantic? Did he pity her? She _was_ a killer, after all. She almost killed his fellow classmates when they first met, and she very nearly killed him, too. But even then, he was only kidding himself. Krystal was a bounty hunter, and more than a killer: an assassin – a murderer. But maybe... maybe there was something in her that he hoped to transform. Even before Wolf's story, did he somehow sense the hole in her heart, perhaps longing to fill it? Was that what made him stay?

Phoenix shook his head, trying to clear his mind, but to no avail. The scene before him remained as a piece of modern art; bright colors splashed upon a black canvas, the definition of confusion and dissonance.

Through the small effort he made, however, Kitty's words somehow found their way back to him. Somehow, even though she was so young, the kitten noticed the loss Krystal constantly felt. She had seen it in her father, Meinhard, as well; the grief of losing his spouse. Perhaps she had witnessed the same signs in Krystal. It certainly correlated with Wolf's theory. Krystal had lost Fox, and now was using him as a replacement. But... was he okay with that?

Phoenix scowled and mentally chastised himself. Of _course_ not. It would never work out. The ace pilot before him had single-handedly turned the tide of the Lylat Wars, defeated Andross, _and _rescued Krystal from a terrible fate. He... he could never live up to that. Besides, Krystal was different. She was cold-hearted, bloodthirsty, and unbearably cruel. At every chance she got, she made fun of him: his size, his build, his cowardice, and his general unfamiliarity with the outside world. Every moment he spent with her, he was subjected to a constant needling, as if a sculptor had finished carving out a statue, but continued on in his work anyway, chipping away piece after piece of his creation. And when he was finished... there would be nothing left. His pride was already gone. Any sense of self-importance had gone with it. He was a useless runt in a world of giants, where even a girl like Krystal towered over him. And after Wolf revealed the truth about him... he just felt so _worthless_.

He staggered on through the crowded bar, brushing past or bumping into dancers partying to the throbbing bass, hookers that fixed him with patronizing looks, or drunks and stoners just as lost as he was.

Phoenix needed an escape; a way to beat his newly acquired blues. Maybe a quick drink would help; would its effects be greater if it was his first time? Or maybe a smoke with Falco... whatever it was he was inhaling. Perhaps he could try out the dance floor, though he wasn't much of a fan of dancing, anyway. Maybe he could find a hustler his age and grab a room...

No... no. He didn't have to resort to those lengths; he just needed something to get his mind off it, and any of those methods would be too drastic. All he needed was to join Krystal, Falco, and Slippy back at their table, and maybe even that Scarlet woman. He would meet back up with them, and everything would be alright. The same light-hearted jokes, the same mindless bickering, and the same harmless insults. He needed Krystal to needle him again – to make fun of him. He'd laugh it off like he did any other time. And if Falco had gotten off his drug trip, maybe he'd even stick up for the poor vulpine. Yes, that's what he needed; some good old fun with his new team. In fact, he was smiling already. Just thinking about their antics made him lighten up inside.

Phoenix stopped. Looking up, he realized he had finally arrived at his group's table. Slippy had returned from catching-up with his fellow Aquans, and was now conversing with a slightly-less high Falco. Scarlet was attempting to push Jax Taylor's buttons with a few well-placed comments praising the _Star Wars _prequels. But Krystal...

Their eyes locked onto each other.

A soft feather seemed to brush against his mind.

"You know."

Phoenix was confused. Though her face was stoic and blank, her emerald eyes revealed a multitude of expressions: disappointment, anger, loss, sorrow.

"W-what?" Phoenix stammered.

"You know," Krystal repeated. "He told you, didn't he? Wolf..."

"I-I don't know what you're talking–"

"Don't play games with me, Phoenix. I can't be fooled. That son of a bitch told you, didn't he?"

Before responding, Phoenix froze. The slight sensation he had felt had been Krystal reading his mind.

"I'm sorry, Phoenix... I wish it didn't have to be this way."

"What do you mean?" the vulpine gulped.

The azure vixen reluctantly reached for her gun belt, drawing one of her silver pistols. Slowly, she leveled it at Phoenix.

*Click*

He gulped. "K-Krystal, what are you doing?"

A hush had fallen over their table when they noticed Krystal aiming her gun at Phoenix.

"We could've had a lot of fun together, you and me. But... I just can't let you–"

Before Krystal could finish, Phoenix ducked, stumbling back into the cover of the crowd.

Krystal hissed, her eyes widening in anger as she fired at where he had been standing; but fortunately, she was too late.

_What is she _doing_? _Phoenix asked himself, weaving deeper into the crowd. Another gunshot rang out, striking a cheetah assassin only a foot away from him. The outlaws nearby cried out in disgust as they pushed his lifeless body away from them and attempted to remove his bloodstains from their suits, but other than that, they seemed not to care.

As Krystal took other potshots at him, bear bottles and mugs shattered, and hands of cards exploded, often accompanied by a spray of blood and a pained cry. Phoenix bent his head lower with each shot, continuing to madly push through the crowd.

Soon, the psychotic vixen leapt onto a chair, and began leaping from table to table, quickly gaining ground on him. Panicking, Phoenix dove underneath a nearby table, only to have Krystal jump on top of it and begin firing shots blindly through the wooden surface. Bullet after bullet ripped through the table, leaving small rays of light and trails of smoke that seeped through the holes left behind. Each one narrowly missed Phoenix, making it apparent that he had to move – and he had to move _fast._

Rolling around to the opposite side of the table, Phoenix lay on his back and thrust his feet against the top above him. With his increased leverage, he heaved with all his might and managed to overturn the table, Krystal and all.

The vixen went sprawling several yards away, giving Phoenix the chance to make a run for it. He didn't hesitate a moment before diving back into the crowd.

After a few minutes of wading through the sea of criminals, Phoenix burst out of the throng to find another dimly lit hallway leading to the restrooms. Glancing back, he noticed Krystal about to break through as well, so he made a dash for the men's room and slammed the door shut behind him.

_Oh no, oh no, oh no__! What am I doing!? I just trapped myself in here!_

Glancing around the filthy restroom, his eyes landed on the shady stalls past the urinals, his best shot at a hiding place. Sprinting towards them, he threw himself against the flimsy door of the middle stall, which burst open and slammed against the wall of the next stall. Inside was Kung Furry, sitting atop the stained porcelain toilet with his karate gi pulled up. Fortunately, the red panda was reading a very strategically placed magazine.

"Nanda kore wa!?" Kung Furry exclaimed as Phoenix burst in.

Ignoring the panda, Phoenix spun around to close the door. He froze, however, when he heard the door to the men's room creek open and shut. His heart rate began to skyrocket, and he struggled to control his breathing.

Slowly, a dark shadow began to creep over the grimy floors next to the stalls. A combat boot lowered to the floor in front of the stall's doorway, and Phoenix followed it up to Krystal's icy face. With a cold, almost emotionless expression, the Cerinian lowered her gun at Phoenix's head, the silver barrel glinting in the restroom's dim light.

"Krystal..." Phoenix gasped, panting for breath. "What... what are you doing?"

She didn't answer. She just stared.

"You know this isn't right – you don't want to do this. I know you don't. You have no reason to."

"I said I was sorry, Phoenix," Krystal whispered. "It just... didn't work out. You know too much, Phoenix. About Star Fox... about me. I liked you better when you didn't know. But now you know my secrets, and it just won't work out."

"Krystal, please–"

"Don't. Just... don't. Goodbye, Lionheart..."

A shadow rose up behind Krystal, holding a red, wooden plunger raised above her head. Before she could fire, the newcomer brought the plunger crashing down on her skull, with enough force to snap the wooden handle. Krystal immediately dropped her gun, and her eyes rolled up into her head, before she herself slumped to the ground.

Falco stepped out of the shadows, examining the broken plunger in his hands with a bewildered expression.

Letting out a huge sigh, Phoenix placed a hand over his heart and attempted to calm it.

"Geez, Falco... that was too close. If you hadn't shown up in time, Krystal would have, Krystal would've–"

His jaw dropped open in shock. "Krystal... was going to kill me, wasn't she?"

Rotating the plunger back and forth, Falco tossed it over his shoulder and leaned against the stall's door to steady himself. He still carried a confused expression on his face, and his legs seemed to be rather weak.

After panting and looking at Phoenix for a second, he finally noticed Kung Furry sitting on the toilet behind Phoenix. Leaning forwards, he squinted at the bounty hunter before straightening back up and rubbing his eyes.

"Look, sorry Phi, I just got off a wild trip, but... is that a _ninja_ taking a dump behind you?"

"_Shitsurei_!" the indignant panda replied.

"Yeah, 'shit' is right," Falco agreed.

The three figures awkwardly glanced at each other, trying to understand the situation. A blue-furred vixen lay unconscious on the floor of the men's room while a rather stoned falcon and the fox she had been trying to kill looked on, with a red panda martial-arts expert using the throne behind them, minding his own business and reading his weekly copy of _Shonen Jump._

After clearing his head some more, Falco knelt down and carelessly heaved Krystal's limp body over his shoulder.

Rising to his feet, he added, "I'll take care of her. You just grab my gun."

Phoenix pursed his lips. "Uh, that was a plunger..."

Falco eyed Phoenix as if he were crazy, then rubbed his free hand over his face. "Oh... so _that's_ what it was. I thought it felt rather... odd. As I was saying, I'll carry Krystal if you grab the... you... you just follow along."

"You're sure you can handle her?" Phoenix asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just... just point me to the door."

"Alright, I guess." The vulpine stepped out of the stall and turned to face Kung Furry. "Uh, sorry, karate man, dude, sensei... whatever."

Gingerly, he closed the door on the red-furred panda, who went back to reading his magazine.

"_Mattaku_..."

* * *

When they returned to Sargasso Spaceport's main floor, the area was slowly being vacated as the vagabonds and outlaws headed towards their ships. The upcoming defense effort required each and every one of them to play a part, though it would be a miracle if they managed any form of coordination, whatsoever. Teamwork wasn't exactly in their handbook; they were anarchists – all of them.

Upon reaching hangar bay 4, where the _Great Fox _was parked, Falco slipped Krystal off of his shoulder and set her down on a cargo crate. At this point, Krystal had regained enough consciousness to manage to sit up straight. She leaned forwards dangerously, gingerly rubbing the back of her head.

"Ughhh... what hit me?" she moaned, wincing after touching the growing lump.

"Sorry, Krys," Falco apologized, looking sheepish. "I had to hit you with my–"

Falco quickly glanced at Phoenix before correcting himself. "–er, plunger. With my plunger. _My _plunger? What..."

Realizing how humiliated Krystal would feel if she realized she had been hit with a toilet plunger, Phoenix interjected, "He hit you with his gun, Krystal. He's just... he's still a little high."

At the sound of Phoenix's voice, Krystal raised her head and looked him in the eye, struggling to remember what had happened. A deathly look transformed her face, and she glared at Phoenix before turning away to ignore him. Somehow, Phoenix wondered if she was ashamed for what she had done... or just angry that she had failed to kill him. Either way, there was now an awkward void between the two that the young vulpine had no means of remedying.

As Falco became distracted by his gun, Phoenix decided to make an effort to change that.

"Hey, look, Krystal," he began without confidence, "You don't have to worry about me. I'll leave it alone. I promise not to bring it up, or-or to even think about it, if you like. I won't let my curiosity get the better of me again, and I promise not to try to find out any more th-than I already know. I... I just want to be a part of this team! I want to stay with you guys... I've never had this much fun and excitement in my entire life p-put together! I just need you guys."

Krystal was unimpressed. "Tch. You're so pathetic... you worthless pile of shit."

The vixen shifted to the opposite side of the crate, and stared out through the transparent energy field to the brilliant display of asteroids and ships that surrounded the spaceport. Phoenix's ears drooped at the sound of Krystal's biting words, and his head lowered pitifully. He had shared a moment of vulnerability with the Cerinian, baring all his weak points... and she took the chance to stab each one of them.

The hustle and bustle of the hangar continued to flow around them, with any criminals capable of flight or gunnery put on scramble. Technicians loaded dangerous weapons onto the underbellies and wings of fighters, pilots suited up and scurried into their cockpits, and all forms of ships rose into the air and slipped through the energy shield. Not a single fighter matched another; all of them were custom built or modified beyond recognition, complete with paint jobs, designs, and emblems. Some pilots had etched tick marks into their ship's noses, tallying how many opponents they had downed in combat.

The sound of boots striking the metal floor approached the trio, and Phoenix looked back up to see Scarlet Altruis. She stopped a meter away from the group, planting her feet and placing her hands on her hips, examining the Hunting Party's current status.

"Well aren't we feeling especially happy today?" she said, cheerfully. "Phoenix looks like he's just been rejected by his high school sweetheart, Krystal's in her pouting mood again, and Falco's still high as fuck."

"I am no longer high!" Falco proclaimed to the world as he slipped his blaster back into his holster. "I can now verify that this is, indeed, a gun."

"Look, beat it, Scarlet. We don't want you around here."

"Aww, Princess; you need some cheering up. How 'bout I be your extra wing-mate for this run?"

"Well, we sure could use you," Falco admitted, looking hopefully at the vixen_._

"Great! So, what's your plan? How are you guys arranged nowadays? I wanna know what Phoenix does."

Falco grimaced and stalled for time. "Well, both Krys and I use the arwings, and Slippy pilots the _Great Fox, _while Phoenix..."

The avian trailed off, rubbing the back of his head. "Uh... Phoenix specializes in ground missions."

Scarlet looked at the ace pilot, skeptically. "What!? Phoenix doesn't fly anything? You mean you let him on the team without any piloting skills at all?"

"When you get right down to it, I guess that's the truth. It was sort of a spontaneous thing, you see..." he looked at Krystal for help, but she sat with her back to them.

"So, aren't you gonna teach him?" Scarlet asked, cocking her hips.

"We uh... weren't planning on it."

Scarlet's face lit up with a bright smile. "Then I guess I'll just have to teach him!"

Phoenix's ears perked up. "You _what_?"

"Well, if you two aren't going to take the effort to train him, I might as well do it, right?"

At this statement, Krystal spun around and faced them. "You can't be serious, Scarlet. Phi can fly a duck strapped to a pig's back better than he could fly an arwing."

"You have to give him a chance," the crimson-furred vixen replied. "After all, you've been bare-back riding pterodactyls since you were... what, nine? Ten? He just needs a little help... some _special attention,_" she finished, provocatively.

Krystal froze. "Absolutely not! It would be impractical to train him!"

"How so?" Scarlet gestured to a ruby red interceptor a few docking spaces away. "My Artemis Mk. III is perfectly equipped for it. It's a two-seater, after all; Phoenix could sit up front and I'd instruct him from the navigator's seat."

Of all things, Falco's eyes spotted a lone, military-grade helicopter between them and Scarlet's ship, looking as if it had come straight from 'Nam. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the helicopter again, completely out of place next to the high-tech interceptor.

"What the... is that a helicopter? Man, I must still be a little sto–"

"I'll take him!" Krystal blurted. Her eyes darted back and forth, as if she wanted to retract her statement, but she continued. "I think I'd do better training him."

"Hey, uh, girls," Phoenix tried to cut in, "I don't think a battle like this would be a safe setting for my first–"

"_You'd _take him?" Scarlet asked, ignoring Phoenix. "Your arwing only has one seat!"

Staring Scarlet down, Krystal jumped off the crate and gabbed Phoenix's wrist. Dragging him over to the _Great Fox, _she growled, "Come on Phoenix; you'll sit in my fucking lap if you have to."

Falco climbed into the dreadnought's loading bay after them, hitting the switch to close the doors. As the gates lazily shut, Scarlet called after them, "Have fun you two!" in a sing-song voice.

With only a sliver of space left in the opening, Krystal flipped the bounty-huntress the bird. Without even looking at Phoenix, she pointed to her arwing and begrudgingly ordered, "Get in."

Knowing better than to challenge Krystal at this moment, Phoenix obliged and scrambled up the side of her fighter. But before he could he could hop into the cockpit, Krystal jumped up after him and pulled him back by the scruff of his neck.

"What happened to ladies first?"

Wincing at the harsh treatment he received at Krystal's hands, he explained, "Well, I didn't want to sit on top of you, so I thought–"

"You thought what? That I'd sit in _your _lap? Think again, Lionheart. Do you know how hard it is to pilot this thing with a boner sticking up your ass the whole time?"

Phoenix assumed a perfectly straight face. "I don't know. It must be pretty... hard."

Krystal angrily shoved him into the cockpit. "You know what; I don't even care anymore. Just get in. Just get the hell in. Oh, and scoot over. Sorry to crush your little fantasies, but I still ain't sitting in your lap."

Phoenix fell head-first into the pilot's seat before righting himself and attempting to make room for Krystal. Gracefully slipping into the cramped space next to him, Krystal hit a switch causing the glass canopy to lower around them.

Pressing her thighs against his, she ordered, "Move over! Geez, I need more space!"

Pushing back against her, Phoenix complained, "I can't! I'm sitting on the armrest right now!"

Krystal sighed, exasperated. "Fiiiine! Here, give me the seat belt."

The vulpine fumbled with the safety belt for a few seconds before pulling it around himself and handing the buckle to Krystal. She snatched it from his paws and yanked on it, extending it far enough to fit into the socket on her side of the seat. When the belt was locked in place, Krystal and Phoenix were forced even closer together.

With her mouth right next to his ear, Krystal breathed, "We can't fly like this, can we?"

"Uh, no."

The vixen quickly detached the buckle, causing it to whip back across the cockpit and disappear into the upholstery.

"Well, I guess we'll be fine since we're already stuck together. Sardines don't need any extra packing, do they?"

Phoenix wrinkled his nose. "I never liked sardines."

Krystal shrugged. "I like 'em on pizza as opposed to anchovies, I guess. I lost a bet to Falco, once, and he made me eat some straight out of the packet."

"Ugh, that sounds disgusting."

"I know right? But really, It's not like I care for sardines all that much, I was just using them as a metaphor."

"Oh, yeah; _I_ was just making conversation."

Krystal gave Phoenix a funny look. "Why the fuck are we talking about sardines?"

* * *

** A/N: Whooo, so you guys didn't have to wait too long for this chapter; only about two months. Eh, I've done worse. The rest of my summer was taken up by writing _Happy Story _for the contest, and then finally finishing _Dream's Brink _after that. At least I got it out of the way and can now focus solely on this story. Juggling three stories was rather... chaotic.**

** Hungry for more of Scarlet, but can't wait 'til next chapter? I know I am! K.S. Reynard recently started a new story called _Sierra Foxtrot, _primarily featuring everyone's favorite crimson-furred vixen, so you should definitely hop on over there for more of her flirtatious personality.**


	14. Until It's Gone Part 3: Crash Course

**Chapter 14: Until It's Gone**

**Part 3: Crash Course**

* * *

In the cockpit of Krystal's arwing, Phoenix was getting rather nervous. The giant dreadnought's engines had gunned behind them, and the whole ship was beginning to rumble. The vulpine felt a jolt of inertia as the _Great Fox _rose into the air before it leaned forwards and exited Sargasso's number four hangar.

_"__I'm opening the gates now," _Slippy said over the intercom.

Red emergency lights illuminated the ship's docking bay, and a warning siren began to blare over the ship's speakers, signaling the airlock was about to be released. In front of Krystal's arwing the hangar bay doors slowly crept open, revealing a sea of stars, asteroids, and mismatched ships outside.

"Krystal, I don't think this is a good idea," Phoenix whimpered as the massive void of space opened itself up to him.

"Whaddya mean, Lionheart?" Krystal ignored Phoenix for a moment as she leaned forward to prep her fighter for launch.

Eyeing the curves of Krystal's lithe back, Phoenix explained, "Well, there's a bunch of asteroids out there... you know, floating rocks? It-it would be much better if I learned to fly in like, empty space. And then there's gonna be the Cornerians, right? And I guess we're the bad guys here, which means they'll be shooting at us. Do you... do you really think I can dodge asteroids _and _laser fire?"

"Ahhh, don't worry about," Krystal said, waving him off. She leaned back, crossing her elbows behind her head and kicking her feet up onto her arwing's dashboard. "You've got an expert pilot with you. If the going get's tough, I'll take over."

"Gee, I-I-I don't know, Krystal," Phoenix continued, but Krystal began to lose patience and elbowed him in the stomach.

"I guess you'll just have to hit the ground running, Lionheart." Then, after a sudden change in attitude, she sat up and turned towards him, bracing her arms on the seat's armrests and leaning intimidatingly close to Phoenix's face. "Remember what happened earlier today, Phoenix? You haven't exactly escaped from that mess, yet. One more whiny comment out of you, Phi, and you're a goner. It's over. I shoot you, open the canopy, and set you loose in outer space. _Got it_?"

Phoenix gulped and nodded.

"That's more like it."

Falco's ship rose up beside them, and slowly tilted forward until it had cleared the hangar. Once it was a few meters away from the _Great Fox, _Falco's engines lit up with a blue glow and propelled the ship away at lightning fast speed. All Phoenix could do was stare wide-eyed at Falco's rapidly disappearing ship. He shook his head slowly. He was not ready for this.

"Ow! Geez," Phoenix exclaimed; something was jabbing his hip.

"Ugh! What is it now?" Krystal complained, exasperated. Looking down between where they sat, she noticed her gun holster pressing uncomfortably into Phoenix's side.

Sighing, she removed the gun and handed it to Phoenix, who reluctantly accepted it.

"Er, what do I do with this?" he asked.

Silently, Krystal glared at him and gestured to a side pocket underneath Phoenix's half of the seat.

"But... what if it goes off?"

"Just put it in already!" Krystal shouted.

Startled by her sudden outburst, Phoenix shoved the gun into the pocket and settled down in his seat.

"Alright, Lionheart, here we go; grab onto something, and try not to piss yourself."

"I'm... I'm ready, Krystal. Just... don't go too fast."

Krystal pressed a series of buttons, and her arwing slowly lifted into the air. She eased the control yoke forward, and the nose tilted slightly down, dipping the fighter towards the gate.

"Let's get this over with; I like to get off quick and dirty."

"Huh? W-what do you mean?"

Krystal's only response was to gun her arwing's engines before they had even left the hangar, causing the ship to leap forwards and zoom out into open space. The sudden increase in g-force took Phoenix by surprise, and he sucked in a quick breath as he was pressed back into the pilot's chair.

"What's the matter, Phoenix?" Krystal teased as she sped the ship up even faster. "Does it hurt much?"

"No-no, it just gave me a little surprise. It is my first time, after all."

"Well don't worry, you'll get used to it."

Phoenix glanced out the left side of the canopy at the formations of ships and clumps of rocks passing by, which began to make him a little airsick. He moaned. "Are you sure we shouldn't go a little slower?"

"Pssh, yeah right. Hey, watch this."

Without so much as a warning, the azure vixen jammed the control yoke to the left, causing the ship to go into a wild spin. The orange clouds of gas, stars, and rock formations blurred together as the ship rotated on its longitudinal axis. Phoenix cried out and instinctively grabbed a hold of Krystal, whose eyes widened in surprise.

"Hey! Whoa there, Lionheart; be careful what you grab! I didn't mean for you to hold onto me, idiot!"

"S-s-sorry," Phoenix stammered as he let go of Krystal's waist, awkwardly trying to find a position for his paws.

When Krystal looked over and noticed the worried expression on his face, she said, "Aw, come on now. Look on the bright side! Remember when we first left Corneria? At least you're on the inside and not the outside this time. That was one wild ride; you did okay for having to be on top."

_"__Well, well, well, what are _you_ two lovebirds up to?" _a provocative voice cooed over their comm system.

Immediately following the transmission, a blood red fighter whizzed by their arwing, slowly spinning in a lazy circle before coming to hover a few meters in front of them. Phoenix recognized the ship as none other than Scarlet's interceptor.

Krystal reached for the call button, but noticed it had been jammed in the "on" position the whole time. "What are you driving at, Scarlet?"

The coy vixen giggled at the other end of the line. _"Oh, don't play cute and innocent with me, Krystal; I know what dirty little things you and Phoenix have been doing in __that__ cockpit. It's no wonder you were so eager to have him all __to yourself__!"_

"You moron, I'm just teaching him how to fly!" Krystal growled back at Scarlet.

_"__Well, listening to the last five minutes __of your communications log, you certainly would have f__oo__led me. Getting it on with Phoenix in your arwing? I just love it!"_

"Oh, geez, _why_..." Phoenix thought back to their previous conversation, grimacing the more he replayed it out of context.

Scarlet continued to giggle._ "And what a creative setting, too! Why, even _I_ haven't __tried__–"_

Krystal slammed her first down on the mute button, after which both of the foxes' faces turned bright red. They awkwardly looked away from each other, though both were painfully aware of the unavoidable contact between their bodies.

Suddenly turning to Phoenix, Krystal thrust an accusing finger in his face. "Listen up! If you try to so much as touch me, I will _personally_ impale your sorry ass on the giant drill of one of those Meteo Crushers!"

Phoenix cowered down in his chair and raised his hands defensively. "No! Of course not! Wouldn't even think of it!"

Eying him warily, Krystal settled back down next to him and crossed her arms. "Alright, then. Now that we got that cleared up, it's time for your lessons to begin."

Pointing to Scarlet's interceptor, which was pulling off various stunts in a desperate attempt to get their attention, Phoenix asked, "Hey, is uh... shouldn't we unmute Scarlet? It might be safer that way."

Krystal rolled her eyes and leaned against the seat's right armrest. "What, and have to listen to that bitch spout even more crap? Honestly, I can barely tolerate her. I don't even know why we're still frien–"

"Hey, watch it!" Phoenix exclaimed. Diving forward, he grabbed the arwing's control stick and forced it down. The agile fighter craft swooped downwards, narrowly avoiding an asteroid several times larger than a house.

Krystal gasped as they dove beneath the rock, regaining her bearings after a moment and taking the controls back from Phoenix to right the ship. When they were cruising safely along again, she turned to Phoenix, slack-jawed.

"Whoa... nice one, Phi. We would've wrecked the ship if it wasn't for you. Those were... those were some nice reflexes! Damn, Phoenix; how'd you get to be such a good pilot?"

"Well..." Phoenix trailed off, staring into the distance as he remembered all the hours he spent at home playing video games on his couch.

"I hate to admit it," Krystal growled, playfully, "But you might have the makings of a good pilot in you."

"Good to hear. So, is that a wrap? What say we call it quits for today?"

"NO!" Krystal barked. She sighed and rolled her eyes in disgust. "Honestly, you are the most... just grow a pair and learn to fly, okay?"

"Alright, fine, fine. Just teach me already. Please, just get this over with."

"Thank you. So, controls first. That lever you just grabbed is the control stick; tilt it forwards, and the ship dives. Pull it back, and the ship climbs. Gently tilting it left and right will cause the ship to tilt in that direction. Tilt and pull back at the same time, and you'll perform a turn. Use more force and she will roll left or right."

"Like a barrel roll!"

"No, you fucking moron! It's called a... a... what's called? Well whatever it is, it's not a goddamn barrel roll! Get your terms straight! God damn, you're so eager to do your little barrel roll, aren't you, Phoenix? It really gets your hard on, doesn't it? I bet barrel-rolling makes your little dick hard, huh? Of course it does; fans like you are aaaall alike. Fine! You wanna know how to barrel-roll? Just pull back on the stick a bit before tilting it left or right. Wanna try it now, Lionheart? You wanna get all excited and shit, is that it?"

"No, no; it can wait. Just explain everything else to me, first."

"I _thought_ so," Krystal scoffed with a smug look on her face. "So, you have the basics of directional movement down. That lever you see on your left is the throttle; push forwards to accelerate and ease off to decelerate. As for weapons..."

Krystal once again patted the central control stick. "See the red button on the left side of the stick? That fires the lasers."

"How do you aim?" Phoenix asked, still keeping his hands a safe distance from any of the instruments. "Can't you point the cannons in a specific direction?"

"The arwing was only built for one pilot, meaning you fire in the direction the ship's nose is aiming. I'd like to see you try to fly in one direction and fire in the other. The only time that would happen is if your ship were flying in two pieces! Now wouldn't that be a sight!"

Krystal wrapped her arms around her chest as she began to shake with laughter. Finally, she began kicking the dashboard and guffawing outrageously. "I can just see you now! Ace pilot Phoenix! Your ship's brutally bent halfway down the body, you're flying one way and your cockpit and little laser cannons are pointing the other! God I'd want to see that happen."

Phoenix frowned, and his ears flattened against his head. "I don't think it's that funny. I was just asking."

"No no, really!" Krystal exclaimed, beginning to cry. "When you come up on a meteor, you don't try to go around it! You just split your ship in half and pass it on either side!"

"Alright already! Just stop it and continue with your little lesson!"

Drying her eyes, Krystal calmed down a bit and apologized. "Sorry, I'm sorry; I just get carried away sometimes. Now where was I... oh, yes: weapons. The green button on the right side of the control stick charges up a shot that's more powerful than a regular blast. As for the bombs..."

Krystal pointed to a red button encased in a safety glass covering. "Turning that little nob will pop open the case. Hit the red button inside to arm a nova bomb and cause the button to light up; once it starts blinking, press it again to fire. The default setting is for the bomb to explode on impact. Otherwise, you can change it with the system computer, but I'll handle all of that. So... that about wraps it up."

Phoenix blinked, confused. Krystal had left hundreds of glowing lights, buttons, levers, screens, and dials completely unexplained.

"So, I don't need to know what any of these do?" he asked, gesturing to the wide array of uncovered controls.

"Pssh, naw! Of course not! Those are all of the boring safety features and gauges they teach you about in flight school. I never pay most of them any attention, and they're all too advanced for your current level," Krystal tried to assure him.

"Alright, well... what about the brakes?"

Krystal grinned, evilly. "I don't brake."

Phoenix nervously smiled back.

Reaching across him, the vixen slammed the throttle down and exclaimed, "Now let's get out there and kick some Cornerian ass!"

I

For the next half hour, Krystal let Phoenix try out some basic maneuvers as they circled around the colossal hegemony that was Sargasso Spaceport. He was far from perfect, but the vulpine managed to pick up some moves and could hold his own out in the void of space. In fact, he only narrowly avoided collision with other ships seven or eight times. It was a spectacular feat, even, considering the ever-growing cloud of rogue ships circling the spaceport.

However, no matter how much training Krystal was able to pack into the short time they had before the storm hit, Phoenix would never be ready for the actual battle. And when Wolf O'Donnell's gravelly voice announced the Cornerians' arrival over the universal comm network, he felt his stomach sink.

_"Listen up, gentle ladies __and__ ugly bastards; it's time. __The approaching Cornerian invasion force is more or less four hundred thousand kilometers from the spaceport, and that's four hundred thousand __kilometers__ too close for my liking. What say we show them who owns the Lylat System! __We may be the lords of the criminal underworld, but it is _we_ who control the heavens! So __get__ out there, boys, and show 'em who's boss! Let's whip their asses so bad the Cornerians piss themselves whenever they look up into the night sky! __No one messes with us, you hear me!? Now go get them!"_

"Just listen to that dumb mutt," Krystal scoffed, kicking her feet up on the dashboard again. "Thinks he's so big and important because he has to play daddy to all these unruly outlaws. Where would we be without him, right? What an atlas complex."

Suddenly, Wolf's voice lost its inspirational, commanding tone as he desperately added at a rocket-fast pace,_ "And if my ex-wife, Sheila, is listening in; __p__lease, babe, will you come back? I promise I'll do anything! I'll even give up my drinking__ hab__–"_

Krystal flipped the switch that muted his channel and leaned back in their seat. "Pshhh. Pathetic specimen of a lupine, if you ask me."

On opposite sides of the donut ring of fighters circling the spaceport, two wolfin rose into the air, breaking away from the main swarm.

_"__To all Sargasso pilots; this is Panther speaking," _the leopard's hispanic-accented voice announced. _"__We will be using the universal comm network to c__ommunicate__. __Now, w__e have already discussed the best method of destroying the Meteo Crusher–"_

"Oh no, I wasn't there for that!" Phoenix quietly exclaimed to Krystal.

The blue vixen merely waved her hand dismissively as Panther continued talking.

_"–And discussed the basic__ coordination of our defense run, but I will go over the latter part again. __To defeat the Cornerians, we cannot simply rely on our customized craft and lone-muchacho fighting styles; we must work together. __That means, no showing off, no infighting, and most importantly, no going it alone. But to work together as a team means we must have a plan; tactics, strategies, and directives. We must all play a part, and perform some special function in this operation. __First, Leon and my humble self will split you up into fleets, squadrons, and task forces, __appointing designated leaders to guide your defense run. Now, __are you with me so far__?"_

The channel was silent for a moment, before the radio erupted as a loud voice shouted, _"LEEROOOOOY JENKIIIIIINS!"_

A single fighter broke free from the ring of ships circling the station, making straight for the sea of asteroids.

"Well, he's got the right idea," Krystal said, sitting up again. Pointing to the lone fighter entering the asteroid belt, she commanded, "Follow him."

With some difficulty, Phoenix pointed the arwing towards the incoming Cornerian force, which still was not yet visible through the field. The other fighters were already following suit, ignoring the strategic plan Panther was attempting to work out. Lacking any semblance of order whatsoever, the rogue fleet swarmed away from the station and into the constantly shifting gaps between the ocean of asteroids. Navigating the field of space rocks proved extremely difficult for Phoenix, and Krystal had to take over every time they came upon a particularly dense section of the field.

Once again, Scarlet's interceptor flew ahead of their arwing, flourishing a little as it took up a position in front of them.

"Ughhh!" Krystal moaned as she reluctantly unmuted the vixen. "Fine, Scarlet. What do you want now?"

_"__Well, it's about time __you got to__ teaching Phoenix the ropes, eh, Krys? After wasting all of that time __having__–"_

"Sorry, Scarlet; I think we're breaking up again," Krystal said with mock distress as she reached for the mute button.

_"__No-no-no! Alright! Fine! I'll stop. I just wanted to remind you that my offer to be your extra wingman still stands if you __choose to accept it__."_

"Would saying 'no' really stop you? Sure, go ahead if you must. Knock yourself out."

_"__Aw, you should really be more grateful. __Flying with the kid means you won't be up to your normal skill level, right? You need someone to look after you __two."_

"Hey, I do have Falco on my tail. Right, Falco?"

The radio was silent for a minute before the avian answered._ "Er, uh, yeah, I've got your six. I'm just having a bit of trouble catching up to you. __All of these extra fighters make it like flying through a beehive, but I'll be there in a minute."_

"Glad to know you have my six, feather-brains," Krystal said, sarcastically. "Well, Scarlet, you can follow along as long as you can keep up, but we ain't slowing down for you."

The comm system erupted in laughter. _"Really? _Me_ keep up with _you_? Krystal, __Krystal, Krystal;__ look at me! Just look at this!"_

The crimson vixen began flying in large, lazy arcs around Krystal's arwing.

_"__I am literally flying circles around you – in an _asteroid_ field. That won't be a problem."_

"Yeah, well, Phoenix is learning! So shut it or I'll mute you again!"

_"__Heads up, you two – or three – I've spotted the Cornerians up ahead; some of us have even started to engage."_

_ "__You wouldn't dare mute me again, Krystal. You're dead meat without me, and you know it!"_

"Well, duh doy, Scarlet; I've got this 120 pound bag of pure useless weighing down my ship right now – a 120 pound sac without balls that can't fly to save its _life!_" Krystal finished, shouting angrily at Phoenix.

Falco cleared his throat. _"W__e're getting closer–"_

"Hey, I never asked to learn how to fly during a battle in the middle of an asteroid field!" Phoenix shot back. "On the one day in several years when all of the criminal underworld goes to war! The largest-scale battle since like... what was it... you all had to save beer from going extinct, or something!? Why did you have to pick today of all days!?"

"Because _Scarlet _was going to take you out if _I _didn't!"

"So!? She's not my boss! She's not on my team! _You _are!"

_"__Oh, would you two lovebirds shut up and kiss already? I am very quickly losing interest."_

Falco was becoming more desperate. _"Hey, ladies, listen!"_

"Don't you start in with that romance bullshit again, Scarlet!" Krystal warned as she pointed an accusatory finger at the comm's speaker. "I'll mute you! I'll swear to god, I'll mute you again!"

_"__Don't you dare! Don't you dare touch that button! Move your finger away from that goddamn button, Krystal!"_

"Incoming!" Falco urgently yelled.

When Krystal and Phoenix looked up, another massive asteroid was looming over them, fifty times larger than their arwing. By the time they noticed it, it was too late; they were already close enough to make out each and every crater and valley in the surface of the floating rock.

Instinctively, both foxes dove for the flight stick and pulled it backwards, but the maneuver proved unnecessary. Giant fault lines appeared in the massive boulder, splitting the stone apart into several large chunks and thousands of smaller pieces. A large, rotating drill burst through the asteroid, narrowly avoided by Krystal's arwing. As the pair passed through a newly created gap between two of the asteroid's chunks, the full, hulking form of a Meteo Crusher became visible.

"Wow..." Krystal breathed. "Falco... I think I know what I want for my birthday..."

Gawking at the hybrid ship, Phoenix said, "So that's they look like... and Andross invaded Corneria with these things?"

"Yup. Punched a hole straight through the asteroid belt," Krystal answered. "I haven't seen one of these before, since they were only used in the field that one time, but damn; Andross made one badass ship! Imagine what you could do if you rammed one of those into a Cornerian cruiser!"

The vixen took over the controls, spiraling away from the Meteo Crusher until they were a safe distance from the Cornerian forces. From their removed vantage point, the pair of foxes were able to see the entire invasion force the CDF had mustered; there were three main columns of ships, each with a Meteor Crusher at their vanguard. The re-purposed Venomian craft lumbered through the asteroid field, splitting and destroying any rocks that strayed in their path, while the long train of Cornerian cruisers that followed behind picked off any remaining debris themselves. Hundreds of Cornerian fighter squads circled the battleships, though they were already in the process of breaking off to meet the attack force of outlaws.

Pulling up alongside Krystal's arwing, Falco said, _"Look at them; they're not even going for the Meteo Crushers. Wasn't the plan to take those out first so the cruisers would be trapped? Instead, they're just starting right in on their __rival__ fighters."_

"Aw, let 'em have their fun!" Krystal defended the pilots. "They just want to carve a few more tallies into their ship's hulls."

_"__Then I assume we'll just have to pick up the slack, right, Krystal?" _Scarlet said as she maneuvered her own fighter in front of Krystal's.

"Right you are. Phoenix; turn this ship around. We're beginning our attack run."

"Huh!?" Phoenix grunted. "Attack run? On-on what?"

Krystal jerked her head back, indicating the Meteo Crusher.

"That."

* * *

**A/N: I did it again; I split up the chapter. ****Hopefully I can make it up to you all in the next installment, but if I had kept the two chapters together, it would have dragged on ****for**** supper long, and too much stuff would have happened in the same update. ****Plus, if I waited any longer, I would have missed Columbus Day weekend, and wouldn't be able to work on it again for who knows how long. ****Thank you, Columbus. Without you, I would never have ****had tomorrow off and been able to finish th****is chapter. ****But besides giving us a day off, do we really care about Columbus at all? I mean, I think he discovered the continent we live on, or something ****like that****... but didn't he like, mistreat the Indians? And didn't ****Leif Erikson and the ****v****ikings... no, it was ****cave-men ****that ****cross****ed**** a land-bridge or something screw it, it's late and I'm ra****m****bling.**

** I've also got a bit of a special announcement to make; as a reward for winning the contest last month, Sheppard Studios originally offered to write me a one-shot. After a contest like that, I think myself and many others were a bit one-shoted out. So, instead, Sheppard Studios has agreed to write the next story arc of _The Hunting Party_ with me! It's gonna be pretty awesome, I'm sure. I've already written up a basic outline, and we've been juggling ideas and jokes back and forth since then. In fact, he's waiting to start writing until I finish this current arc, and he's gonna hate me for this, but I'm sorry, Shep, I'm going to have to add one last chapter before we can get to it. I know I promised I would only have to write one more installment _last _chapter, but I swear _this_ time it's really only one more update!**

** Maybe I should have PM-ed that to him, but who cares. See ya'll soon, I hope.**


	15. Until It's Gone Part 4: Best Day

**Chapter 15: Until It's Gone**

**Part 4: Best Day**

* * *

Phoenix gulped as he took the controls from Krystal, hastily pulling back on the stick to perform a less-than-stellar U-turn. Krystal wrinkled her nose at the awkwardly executed move, but she otherwise withheld any criticism.

As they cruised along the top of the nearest column, a group of several Cornerian fighters rose up behind them to engage pursuit.

"Krystal, they're onto us!" Phoenix warned.

"Falco, Scarlet; get those bogeys off of us! We need a straight shot at that Meteo Crusher!"

_"__On it, Krys," _Scarlet assured her. Internally, Phoenix marveled at how well both vixens got along when faced with a common enemy. He was tempted to look back and watch – not only from fear, but also because he wanted to observe the ace pilots in action – but he forced himself to focus on piloting the arwing, a task that demanded all of his brain's CPU.

Scarlet expressed her satisfaction over the comm system as four successive orange glows lit the arwing's glass canopy; the pair had done their work. By the time Phoenix was able to relax and focus on his own task, they were rapidly closing in on the Meteo Crusher.

"Uh, Krystal... how do I destroy it again?"

"I dunno, I wasn't paying attention," Krystal mumbled as she sank back into their chair and apathetically crossed her arms. "Just... just figure it out on your own, okay?"

Angling the ship towards the Meteo Crusher, Phoenix prayed silently that he wouldn't die and jammed his finger into the fire button – better known as the "spray and pray" method. The arwing's cannons emitted a continuous barrage of laser fire at the hulking ship, but the projectiles were all absorbed by shields that rippled across its surface.

"Damn," Phoenix whispered as he was forced to pull off and circle round for another attack. "The lasers aren't doing anything!"

"I'd say that's the least of your problems now," Krystal said, lazily pointing back towards the ship. Phoenix glanced at a rear-view screen on the arwing's HUD, his eyes widening after he realized its turrets had aligned themselves straight at him.

Instead of moving in for another attack, he pressed down the throttle and began moving in a wide arc about the Meteo Crusher. The crossfire from the turrets narrowly missed the back of their arwing, and Phoenix barely managed to keep the ship ahead.

"Krystal, w-what am I supposed to do!? I can't get any closer to it – not when it has this kind of defense!"

"Fine. I'll take the controls – but _you _have to do the firing!"

Awkwardly reaching over Phoenix, Krystal grabbed the throttle beside his left leg and the control stick, guiding the arwing back towards the Meteo Crusher and quickly picking up speed. Expertly, the vixen deflected the turret-fire by performing a few quick spins, then piloted the craft around the rest of the incoming projectiles. All the while, Phoenix held down the fire button whenever their sights lined up with the Crusher.

Krystal narrowed her eyes and quickly scanned the behemoth's flank. Finally catching a weakness, she exclaimed, "There! Do you see that box-like protrusion above the exhaust port? That protects the engineers!"

Phoenix searched the ship's flank as well. "I see it! It looks like it has a little window slat, or something."

"That's it! Listen, I want you to charge up a shot and place it right in there!"

"What!? Are you insane!? I can't–"

"Put it riiiiight in there, Phoenix. I'm sure you can do it! Heck, use the computer's targeting system if you have to! Just charge up the shot, then when we get close enough, and the reticule lines up with window, launch it!"

"Okay, sure; I'll try."

Nervously, Phoenix pressed and held down the green button on the control stick, causing the laser cannons to form a glowing sphere of energy at the arwing's nose. On the ship's targeting display, Phoenix watched the reticule swing back and forth over the outline of the ship, each second that passed increasing the resolution on the image until he could just make out the window.

"Alright, I see it," Phoenix informed Krystal.

"Great, just... hold it a bit longer!" she said through her teeth.

As they closed in on the Meteo Crusher, Krystal wildly spun the arwing to avoid a renewed burst of turret-fire, causing Phoenix to momentarily lose his bearings. However, Krystal righted the ship within a second, and did her best to give Phoenix a steady shot.

The fox gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes as he stared at the reticule, letting it lazily pass back and forth over the window until...

He released the button.

The green orb of energy launched forward from the nose of the ship, almost faster than the eye could follow. It flew unimpeded through the void until it collided with the narrow strip of window, where it burst and shattered the glass. Phoenix lost sight of the Meteo Crusher's control room as Krystal pulled away from their target. Though he missed the operators' ultimate fate, the attack spelled certain death; the layered glass had been the only thing between the engineers and the unforgiving vacuum of space, but in addition to that, the projectile had exploded inside the control room.

"Nice job, Phoenix!" Krystal exclaimed, playfully pushing him.

But it felt like a pyrrhic victory. As Phoenix felt a sickening rush in his stomach, he removed his hands from the controls. "Krystal, could you... take over?"

Losing her proud smile, Krystal grabbed the controls and worriedly glanced at Phoenix. "Hey, Lionheart, you feeling okay?"

Phoenix stared out at Sargasso's glowing orange backdrop, trying to think about anything other than releasing that pulsating orb of death, the shattering glass, and the occupants getting sucked out into space. But no matter where he looked, he saw it; flashing laser fire, ships exploding into thousands of pieces, pilots on both sides crashing their fighters into floating rocks and other debris – all of it senseless death. And he... he was on the wrong side of it all.

"Yeah, I'll be all right," Phoenix finally answered.

"That's better," Krystal said as she patted him encouragingly. "You know, a shot like that doesn't happen all that often – even with a computer targeter. You should be proud of that!"

Along with the bile in his stomach, Phoenix suddenly felt a storm of anger and spite rising up within him. Turning to Krystal, he glared at her. Not wanting to lose his temper as he so often found the vixen doing, he tried to speak with a calm, measured voice. "Proud? Why should I be proud? Those were _people_ I just killed. It's sickening that you and your friends would put find value in something like that."

"Aw, come on Phoenix! They're just soldiers!"

"They're engineers; civilians. You said so yourself. Soldiers couldn't pilot a device like that."

"Either way, they're Cornerians! It's their job to hunt us down. Their mission is the same as ours; hunting and killing."

"Yeah, well at least they aren't keeping track of their kills by carving them into the side of their ships! Those were living people in there – people with families! What if they had children?"

"Geez, Phoenix... well if I knew you would get so pissy about it, I wouldn't have brought you along. You know what, fuck it. I don't know why I brought you out here into a war zone to begin with. I just got bored. Scarlet can have you, for all I care. And if you want to get into an ethical discussion about it, I couldn't care less. Besides, those could have been anyone in there. What if one of them was a serial child-molester, or something? You could have saved a lot of poor kids by killing them!"

"If _he_ was a child molester? Look around you! How many criminals out here are genuinely horrible people? The amount of atrocious crimes committed by your "allies" here would be more than were committed in the whole history of the Lylat combined! Some of these guys worked for Andross, for god's sake! I don't even know why I'm on your side right now! I should be out there with the Cornerians fighting _against _you all!"

"You know what, Phoenix? Maybe you should be. It was a mistake to invite you on the team in the first place."

Phoenix opened his mouth to respond, but the full meaning of Krystal's words instantly silenced him. In her careless spite, she had inadvertently hit Phoenix in one of his weakest spots.

Instead of answering, Phoenix fell silent, and returned to staring out the window. Krystal continued glaring on ahead as she guided the arwing through the outer skirts of the battlefield, but when she noticed Phoenix hadn't responded, she once again lost the edge to her voice.

"Oh... sorry, Phi. I didn't mean it. I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry, I really do want you on the–"

"Look, it's fine. Just... just focus on flying right now, okay? I don't want to distract you."

"Aw, don't say that. Come on, take the controls. You need some more practice."

Phoenix blinked, turning to look at Krystal. "You uh... you mean that?"

"'Course I do. You honestly couldn't fly to save your life, so you need all the help you can get."

"Er, thanks... I guess." Phoenix gratefully accepted the controls back from Krystal, and concentrated on navigating the arwing through the densely packed asteroid field.

Once they had regained their vantage point over the first of the enemy's advancing columns, Krystal let out a long whistle. "Wow... you really did a number on that Crusher, didn't you?"

With the Meteo Crusher halted in its tracks, the enemy column was thrown into utter chaos and confusion. The long line of Cornerian cruisers were trapped in a tightly packed traffic jam, and, without the Meteo Crusher to pave the way through the asteroid field, they were rendered completely immobile. Even now, they were desperately attempting to face the swarm of rogue fighters and space debris surrounding them, but were being ruthlessly torn apart by both adversaries. In fact, with their vanguard taken down, the pirates saw it as a chance to renew their attack on the column with full force; each pilot was hungry to get his fill of the enemy's units.

A pack of fighters flew past their arwing from starboard to port side, followed by a silver fighter with blood red highlights. Giving up on the group of spacecraft it chased, the intimidating fighter performed a loop de loop and pulled up alongside Krystal's ship instead.

_"__Hijos de perras... I can't get any cooperation out of them! Do they _want _to lose this battle? Do they even know there's an objective on this mission?"_

"You're wasting your time, Panther," Krystal warned him. "Can't you see they don't care?"

_"__I humbly thank __you__ for your efforts, mi hermosa zorra; that was a spectacular job defeating such a monstrous ship. But you must permit me to keep this fleet together. If I don't, no one will, and the Syndicate would be done for."_

"Whatever floats your armada, Spanglish."

_ "__'Spanglish'?__How cruel you are, Krystal."_

The vixen and feline's exchange was interrupted by a rogue squad of three ships chasing down a Cornerian fighter. As the team blew past Panther and Krystal in pursuit, Panther attempted to hail them through Sargasso's communications network.

_"Hey, muchachos! Go to objective B! Objective B!" _he ordered.

The radio buzzed for a second before the captain of the team replied, _"Uhh... Izvinite, Ya ne ponimayu. __Ty umeyesh' govorit' na Russkom__?"_

_ "__What!? No-no-no, English, English! Do you speak English! Or maybe Spanish!?"_

_ "__Vse grad Geyb N'yuell!" _the captain said as the squad disappeared from sight around a nexus of asteroids.

_ "__Dammit! Krystal, help me find someone on the network who speaks English. Any of the nearby ships __will do!"_

"Sorry, Caroso; you're own your own."

_"__Oh, why me?" _the onyx-furred cat lamented. Then, as another group of outlaws passed, he gunned his wolfen's engines and took off after them._ "Hey, where are you going? __The Meteo Crusher's _that _way! __What is this, TDM Sargasso?"_

As Panther chased off after the apathetic squad of fighters, Phoenix tapped on the communications icon on the arwing's HUD. "You know, maybe it would be a good idea to check out the network; what if someone nearby is in trouble and needs help?"

"Didn't I already mention this before?" Krystal asked, annoyed. "We only look out for number one – _us. _For anyone who gets their sorry ass in a jam on a mission like this, it's _their _problem."

Ignoring Krystal, Phoenix handed her the controls and opened the communications network, revealing a satellite map dotted with moving shapes and symbols, a catalog of team, pilot, and vehicle names, and a chat box rapidly scrolling through lines of text. The young fox attempted to read some of the chat, but was only able to make out one pilot asking if anyone wanted to trade, resulting in a myriad of insults, angry comments, and polite suggestions that he leave the area.

Glancing at the map of the battlefield, Phoenix squinted at the name of a fighter trailing just behind Krystal's arwing.

"Incest is... wincest?"

Krystal laughed. "Wha-what did you just say?"

Phoenix pointed to the map. "IncestIsWincest. It's the name of one of the fighters tailing us. The other's blank."

Krystal glanced back, confused when she noticed Scarlet's ship keeping several bogeys off of their back. Turning back around, she explained, "Oh, that's just Scarlet. Wait a minute... we get callsigns?"

"Yeah, I guess; at least for the network to identify you by."

"I'm getting one. Quick, help me think one up!"

"Let's see... I use to go by "I Build Character"."

"Wait, so like, losing a lot builds your character?"

"No! It's like I build _other _people's–"

Krystal waved her hand to silence him. "Yeah yeah, too easily misconstrued."

Phoenix thought some more. "Then how about, "The Idoits"? Like a misspelling of idiots."

"Ah, I like it!" Krystal agreed, nodding her head. "Go for it."

Phoenix attempted to update their callsign, but the name was rejected.

"What! Are you kidding me!?" he exclaimed. "It's taken!"

"What kind of a moron would take a name like that!" Krystal agreed, mirroring Phoenix's disappointment. "What are the chances one of those pilots out there took that name, and _misspelled _it, too? I bet it was on accident! And they only set up this network today, so they couldn't have entered it more than an hour ago!"

"I guess we just need a different callsign," the tod concluded.

The communications channel beeped, and a notification bubble popped up on the screen.

Krystal tried to look down at it, but was having too much trouble flying the ship over the enemy convoy. "Read that to me, Lionheart."

"Uh... apparently, someone by the name of "Crash Test Fetus" wants to duel you."

"Duel me? In the middle of a battle? I don't even know that freak. When you get famous, everyone suddenly wants to beat you so they can prove to everyone they're better than you. I hate suckers like that; decline."

Phoenix complied, but a message appeared in the chat denouncing them as cowards, among other things.

"Krystal, Crash Test Fetus says we're cowards... and he's calling us some pretty nasty names."

"Like I said, if I don't know them, who cares?"

"I have a feeling he's not taking no for an answer."

"Huh?" Krystal grunted. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"He's coming this way!" Phoenix exclaimed, looking down at the map and pointing towards the incoming fighter. Krystal looked up just in time to see the nimble spacecraft launch several glowing orbs from its wings and bank away. The flickering orange projectiles spread out through the asteroid field, then slowly began to coalesce as they closed in on Krystal's fighter.

"Holy shit that's a lot of missiles!" the vixen cried. "And they've all got locks on us!"

Phoenix grabbed her shoulder and violently shook it. "You need to get us the hell out of here!"

"Uh-uh! That no good bastard – won't take no for an answer! Well I'll show him! Phoenix, take the stick."

"Wait, what?" Phoenix scrambled to grab the controls after Krystal let go of them. "What are you doing!?"

"You just worry about avoiding those missiles; I'll take the fight back to Fetus."

"But how!?" Phoenix pressed forward on the throttle, sending the arwing into a desperate dive through Meteo's asteroid field.

Ignoring Phoenix for the time being, Krystal reached for the chat box and started typing a message, a difficult task to perform while Phoenix attempted to outrun the missiles.

"Crash... Test... Fetus..." she read aloud as she typed, "Ur... a dirty... shitbag..."

As the glowing missiles continued to bear down on Phoenix, he struggled to maneuver the ship past asteroid after asteroid, hoping against hope the missiles would collide with the floating rocks instead of their arwing.

"...and a... tryhard," Krystal concluded, finally sending her message.

"I don't believe this!" Phoenix shouted in fear, his voice cracking. "We're in the middle of a battle against enemy forces, but we're in a dogfight with someone on our own team!"

"That noob isn't on _my _team," Krystal huffed, darkly. "By the way, missiles on your six."

"I know that!"

With the storm of relentless projectiles a mere few meters behind their ship, Phoenix finally pulled out of his dive and sent the arwing rocketing back upwards, towards the top of the plane of asteroids. The vulpine rapidly glanced back and forth between the rear view feed and the debris blocking the ship's path, frantically piloting the ship while at the same time keeping track of the missiles tailing him. At this point, there were at least twenty projectiles in all, and it looked like a veritable fireworks display behind him. As they broke into a lull in the asteroid field void of any obstacle, the missiles began to catch up with Phoenix, each second getting dangerously closer and closer.

"Shit-shit-shit-shit-shit-shit!" Phoenix cursed, eyes bulging and pulse racing. He gunned the throttle even harder and tried to shake the missiles from his tail, but they only closed in on him more.

Attempting to break his concentration, Krystal elbowed him in the side and sneered, "Come on, Phoenix; do a barrel roll!"

"Screw off, Krystal!"

But the vixen continued to make fun of him. "Why don't you try barrel-rolling, Phi? Just do it already! You know you want to. Do a barrel roll! Do a barrel roll!"

Suddenly, Krystal caught sight of a small icon on the radar map, and she stopped teasing Phoenix.

"Hey, go up!" she ordered. "Coast over the side of that asteroid, and then level out with the field again."

"If you say so!" Following Krystal's advice, the tod pulled back on the control stick, causing the arwing to rise perpendicular to Meteo's plane of debris. After he crested the face of the large asteroid the bounty-huntress had pointed out, he came face to face with their opponent. Upon laying eyes on Krystal's arwing, "Crash Test Fetus" gunned his own engines and sped towards them at a breakneck pace.

"What do I do!? What do I do!?" Phoenix urgently repeated.

"He's just playing chicken with you. Speed up!"

Before the two fighters ran into each other in a head-on collision, Phoenix jerked the control stick to the left, causing Krystal's arwing to roll away in the nick of time. The cockpit shook from the output of Fetus' powerful engines as he flashed by, the two ships passing merely a hair's-breadth apart. Their opponent soon met his fate, however, as the missiles trailing Krystal's arwing appeared over the asteroid's crest and arced straight into his ship.

Phoenix looked back in surprise as a bright yellow glow lit the faces of the asteroids in the nearby area; the missiles had collided with Crash Test Fetus, ending their duel in a fiery explosion of gases, fuel, and rent metal debris.

The vulpine suddenly slumped forward in relief, letting his muscles relax. His pulse slowly settled back down, and his heartbeat receded. "How 'bout that... I... I did it!"

"Yeah, how do you like that, Crash Test Fetus! You just got rekt by a noob!"

Krystal slapped Phoenix on the back, who in turn felt a wave of bile rising up in his stomach. His eyes bulged as he cramped over and clasped his hands over his mouth.

"Ew! No way! Not on the upholstery! If you throw up, you're throwing up in your shirt!"

Krystal grabbed the neck of Phoenix's shirt, trying to lift it over his muzzle, but the male vulpine waved her off. Once again, he felt his stomach begin to subside, until he could rest easy. Letting out a slow breath, he said, "Whew! Okay, I'm good. That was just... a little too much for one day."

By the time Phoenix had recovered, a second arwing and a red interceptor fell into formation behind Krystal's arwing.

_"__Krystal! You had me scared shitless!" _Falco shouted over the comm system, prompting the vixen to lower the volume. _"__Why didn't you call for me! By the time I noticed you two were in trouble, you were already a lightyear away!"_

"Keep your shirt on, Falco, and stop exaggerating. It was nothin' me and Phoenix couldn't handle," Krystal assured him. "But I think after this ordeal, I might have to take it easy; Lionheart's a bit shaken up."

_"__Well then__, gentlemen, where are we off to next?"_

"Middle column," Krystal grunted, ignoring Scarlet's thinly veiled insult. "Since no one's willing to actually complete the objective and help the rest of their team, I guess it's our job again. Still, I'll be holding back a bit."

_"__All right, Krystal: lead the way. __We've got your back."_

* * *

While the first column was completely laid to waste by the Hunting Party and the rest of the rogue fleet, the second and third columns continued to plow through Meteo's debris field, unabated. The outlaws were picking away at the Cornerian forces, but for the most part were only interested in the small fries; the cruisers and transports were too heavily guarded from every angle.

As the three ships approached the middle column in basic delta formation, Krystal keyed in the _Great Fox _on her comms channel. "Slippy, you there?"

It only took a second for the mechanic to respond. _"Yeah, Krys. What is it?"_

"We're going to need some backup. The Cornerian's next formation looks like it's going to be a tough nut to crack."

_"__W-what do you want me to do?" _the amphibian nervously stumbled.

"I want you to take on the Meteo Crusher. You've had the experience, right?"

_"...__Right."_

"Good. Then it shouldn't be too much of a problem for you. Given the _Fox's _weaponry, you could probably just brute force it with lasers, regardless of a weak spot."

The amphibian was silent for a moment before he responded. _"__Are... are you sure _you _can't do it, Krystal? I don't know if it would be a good idea if I tried..."_

"Oh for god's sake, Slippy! You're more of a pussy than Phoenix is."

After the three ships began circling the front Meteo Crusher at a safe distance, Phoenix began to remember stories about the frog. Slippy Toad... if the rumors were true, he wasn't exactly the bravest of the bunch. At that moment, something suddenly dawned on Phoenix.

Turning off the radio, Phoenix turned to Krystal and asked, "Didn't Slippy use to fly?"

Taking out a cigarette and lighting it, Krystal nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

The next question was obvious. "Well, why did he stop?"

The vixen snapped her lighter closed and pocketed it before letting out a breath of smoke. "He just gave up, I guess. Realized he had no talent, was always holding the team back, and risked his life every time he got in his arwing."

Phoenix smiled to himself. _Kinda like me, in a way. I wonder if I'll end up like Slippy..._

Following up on his last question, he asked, "And you just let him stop piloting? You didn't encourage him or anything?"

Krystal shook her head. "No. Facts are facts; Slippy was never good at piloting. He belongs underneath an arwing, fixing it – not inside one."

"Well, with encouragement like that, I can see why he quit," Phoenix concluded. Flipping the mic back on, he said, "Listen up, Slippy; this is Phoenix here. I want you to take out that monster for us."

_"__Phoenix? Is that you? W-why do you want me to do that?"_

"Look, I already pulled my own weight today; I took one of those down less than an hour ago. Now it's your turn, Slip. And if I took one out the first day I began learning how to fly, surely you can take one out in that behemoth of a mothership."

"You did take it down with me doing the flying and the computer handling most of the targeting," Krystal mumbled, quiet enough so that Slippy didn't hear.

_"__Haha, well, if you say so. I... I guess I could try."_

"I want you to blow that Meteo Crusher to smithereens!"

_"__You know what? I think I'll do it! Just to top your __accomplishment__, Phoenix."_

The fox sank back in their chair, a sheepish grin on his face. His newly found confident attitude didn't go unnoticed to Krystal.

"Well, look at mister hot-shot here. How come you're so outgoing all of the sudden?"

"I don't know... I guess I'm just having a good day today. I can't help it!"

From their vantage point circling the head of the middle column, Krystal and Phoenix watched the second Meteo Crusher. But before Slippy could maneuver the _Great Fox _next to the drill-sporting vanguard, several Cornerian battleships sprang between them, wary of what had befallen the first of the three vehicles. Immediately, the four large-class ships became locked in combat, with the Cornerians taking up positions surrounding the Meteo Crusher, and Slippy drifting the _Great Fox _about their axis.

_"__Sorry, Krystal," _the amphibian grunted as the _Great Fox_ began taking heavy fire, _"But it looks like it might take a bit longer than I thought..."_

"Ugh!" Krystal sighed as she slumped back in the pilot's chair. "I guess we'll just have to take it out ourselves." She glanced fondly at her ship's leather upholstery one last time before aligning the arwing towards the Meteo Crusher.

_"__Krystal," _Falco interrupted, _"Krystal, what the hell is that?"_

"What the hell is what, Falco?"

_"__That uh... that _thing _trailing behind that fighter."_

Krystal blinked several times before narrowing her eyes and searching the asteroid field for anything out of place. Spotting the fighter Falco was referring to, Phoenix pointed and exclaimed, "I see it."

What had caught their attention was not the fighter itself, which seemed to be a heavily modified Venomian invader, but the vehicle that closely followed its every move. Trailing behind the rogue ship were a hundred meters of fortified cable, at the end of which was...

...a helicopter.

"No way..." Krystal murmured. "You have _got _to be kidding me..."

The black, military grade helicopter swung in wide arcs behind the fighter, miraculously avoiding groups of asteroids and spacecraft as it followed. The vehicle's rotors blurred to transparent disks as they spun, but they did little to propel the craft, as they had no air to gain friction from. The helicopter's cargo bay was open, revealing two space-suit wearing figures in the hold. One, who seemed to have a black fedora fastened to his helmet, was holding a grappling gun in his hands, which appeared to be the source of the cable between the two vehicles. He was bracing himself against the helicopter's deck, with the cord additionally wrapped around the left landing skid. The other figure, who wore a red headband over his helmet, couldn't even stand still for a second without bouncing back and forth through a series of fighting stances.

"It's... it's them..." Phoenix trailed off.

As the fighter the helicopter was attached to pulled away to avoid the Meteo Crusher, the spacesuit-wearing Jax Taylor hit a button on the grappling gun's side, which immediately let the cable loose. The reinforced chord flew from the grappling gun's nozzle, unwinding from the helicopter's landing skid several times before flying free and trailing behind the fighter it was anchored to. With the helicopter free of the repurposed Venomian fighter, it continued tangentially off of the arc the fighter had been taking, but at a much slower pace. As it drifted closer to the Meteo Crusher, the rotational force of the aircraft's propellers began to slowly spin the helicopter on its central axis, further complicating its movement towards the drill-carrying ship.

"They can't possibly be thinking of attacking the Meteo Crusher," Krystal stated. "That's just too... too... I mean, even _they _wouldn't think of doing something like..."

"No, they are," Phoenix corrected her.

The three Cornerian battleships were too busy fighting the _Great Fox _to take notice of the military relic, while the second of the three Meteo Crushers carried on, oblivious to its presence as well. Compared to Andross's brain child, the helicopter seemed as insignificant as a fly, but that didn't stop Taylor and Kung Furry from going through with their attack.

As the aircraft began to falter and lose its original direction, propellers spinning futily like a fish out of water, Taylor and Furry initiated the next phase of their plan. From their vantage points removed from the action, the members of the Hunting Party and Scarlet watched in utter bewilderment as the pair of action heroes braced themselves against the helicopter's door frames. The figure wearing the black fedora grabbed his partner tightly by the chest, squatted against helicopter's side, and pressed off with both legs, sending them flying through space.

"What would they even do against a..." Krystal trailed off, staring in confused awe.

In mid-flight from the aircraft to the Meteo Crusher, Taylor let go of Kung Furry and they pushed off each other, which sent the spacesuit-wearing red panda even faster towards the mechanized behemoth. As the ripped vulpine fell away, he saluted his brother in arms, probably uttering some cheesy catchphrase as well. The panda, on the other hand, flew slowly towards the spacecraft, melodramatically spinning around more than ten times as he rounded up his kick.

After a few seconds, the kung-fu master intercepted the Meteo Crusher in its side just after breaking through an asteroid in its path. No doubt shouting some incomprehensible battle cry, the red panda landed his flying kick on the spacecraft, striking the impenetrable hide of the Meteo Crusher with the equivalent force of a gnat trying to topple the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Needles to say, Kung Furry's attack didn't make so much as a dent in the craft's hull, and the panda merely glanced off the ship's side after landing his blow. It was at this moment, however, that Slippy chose to renew his assault on the ship.

_"__Oh, just get out of my way!" _the amphibian growled.

Bursting through the array of ships blocking his path, Slippy brought the _Great Fox _swooping in from the same side the decades duo had attacked from, main laser cannons blazing as they poured into the protected hull of the Meteo Crusher. The massive dreadnought plowed into the side of the ship, its unprecedented power forcing it off course and to the left. The _Great Fox _brought the Meteo Crusher smashing through asteroid after asteroid until it cleared the space in between the two remaining columns, closing in on the third and final vanguard ship. Maneuvering the _Great Fox _just right, Slippy forced one Meteo Crusher into the other, tearing into it with its own drill. The third spacecraft was immediately ripped apart, shredded like any other asteroid that came in the craft's way. In a fiery explosion, the ship's parts flew in different directions, while Slippy managed to extricate the Hunting Party's mother ship from second crusher. Realigning the laser cannons with the drill-crowned ship, the amphibian fired into the Meteo Crusher's thrusters, keeping on the heat for a few seconds before the engines combusted and took the rest of Andross's refurbished ship with it.

All eyes turned back to Jax Taylor and Kung Furry, who floated aimlessly in space at the head of the middle column. Finally reorienting themselves towards the Meteo Crushers, they stopped to stare in awe at the fiery wreckage of the two monstrous ships. Then turning to face each other through the large amount of space between them, they raised their arms in victory and otherwise celebrated their successful plan.

"Honestly, the stupidity of those idiots," Krystal spat. "I don't believe it! We actually take out both of the vanguards, and they think they pulled it off with an outdated helicopter and a flying kick!"

_"__I think..." _Falco trailed off. _"I think I've had enough weird for one day.__ I'm heading back to the spaceport... but I ain't touching anymore of the stuff. No sir, you can cancel my membership with Narcotics Anonymous – I've been cured __for good__."_

"Huh," Krystal scoffed. "Until you get your hands on another dose next week, right?"

_"__Yeah, right..."_

Now that all three Meteo Crushers had been put out of commission, the remaining Cornerian forces were thrown into utter confusion. Unable to progress any further, the forces collapsed inwards on themselves, desperately trying to form a defensive unit against the rogue forces – but they only succeeded in becoming one big clusterfuck. Their swarm of cruisers, transports, and fighters swarmed madly about in a single soup bowl as they were bombarded on every side by asteroids, lasers, and missiles. Soon, there was nothing left of their invasion force except for the sparkling wreckage of hundreds of spacecraft. Not a single large-class ship had made it out of the fray; only a limited number of single pilot fighters and shuttles. The pirates and outlaws circling the mess became a flock of carrion birds, vultures preying on the carcasses of dead animals; with their enemy defeated, the more desperate of the criminals and mercenary outfits swooped in to scavenge what parts they could from the fleet. And when they came across any living survivors... the lucky ones were spared. More often than not, they too were killed.

Phoenix was utterly disgusted by the sight, but his eyes were distracted from the metal carnage when he noticed two figures floating between the sea of asteroids. Both of them looked terribly bored, and were on the look out for any vehicles passing their way.

"What about those two guys?" the vulpine asked, worried. "Shouldn't we pick Jax and Kung Furry up?"

"Hell no," Krystal exclaimed, grimacing. "Some other poor bastard will make the mistake of doing that. Right now, they're none of our concern. Besides, where would we even fit them, anyway? We're cramped in here already."

"We _do_ have the _Great Fox..." _Phoenix mumbled.

"Yeah? Well tough luck for them. _I _think we did pretty well out there, so the Hunting Party deserves a reward. Hey, Falco; think we'll get drinks on the house?"

The radio system buzzed static. _"I think everyone's getting drinks on the house, meaning tomorrow might b__e the time __Hangover Day __becomes a national holiday.__"_

"Aw yeah, that's what I'm talking about! Frogger, bring the _Great Fox _back to hangar four. We're long due for a celebration!"

Turning their backs on the ocean of steel carcasses and debris, the trio of ships made their way out of the battlefield towards Sargasso Spaceport, closely followed by the lumbering _Great Fox_.

* * *

For the second time that day, Phoenix found himself surrounded on all sides by Sargasso Spaceport's rave-like interior; the dark atrium filled with multicolored, flashing neon lights; the throbbing electronic music and dancing animals; and the groups of outlaws gambling their catches of the day away.

This time, however, Phoenix was not empty-handed. In his arms he carried a load of glass beer bottles that constantly clacked and clinked together; he must have been hauling nearly twenty in all, though he had accidentally dropped a few along the way.

Rounding a flock of dancers, Phoenix came face-to-face with the cybernetic leader of the Sargasso Syndicate, causing him to nearly drop his armload of drinks.

"Oh, uh... hi! Mr. O'Donnell, sir..."

The lupine scowled apathetically at him, then glanced around the chaotically-lit barroom, acting as if his large load of beer bottles was completely usual. "Say, I've been looking for you. I've been meaning to ask you something."

Nervously, Phoenix responded, "Oh yeah? Heh-heh, what is it?"

Turning back to the fox, Wolf displayed his cybernetic arm – or at least, where it had been. Instead, all that remained was the socket that attached the robotic arm to his shoulder.

"You wouldn't have seen my prosthetic arm anywhere, would ya? Leon probably stole it again."

Phoenix avoided the question. "Er, again? He's done it before?"

Wolf huffed, trying to cross his arms over his chest, but only half succeeded. "Yeah, that psychopath is probably fucking around with it somewhere. There's no telling what they'll do with it when they're intoxicated. _This_ time I'd like to have it back before they shove it up each other's... but you get the idea. So, have you seen it?"

"I think I would have noticed a loose robotic arm floating around the place," Phoenix weaseled his way around the question again. "I mean I've seen a lot of guys with robotic appendages. Maybe one of them stole yours?"

Wolf scowled, surveying the crowded room again. "Could be, but I'm placing my money on Leon. Anyway, keep an eye out for it."

Phoenix was tempted to make a crack about Wolf's only working eye, but he held his tongue, knowing it wasn't worth his life. Instead, he merely nodded to the lupine, shifted his hold on the beer bottles, and the two parted ways.

After precariously navigating through the maze of patrons, Phoenix arrived at his team's table just in time to hear the tail end of one of Krystal's stories.

"So then Phoenix flies over this asteroid, and there he is, waiting for us! And that tryhard thought he could run us down in a game of chicken, but Phoenix here didn't flinch! He was all like, "Not today, bitch! I'm the boss!" and he played his little game and scared the shit out of that sucker. And get this – Phoenix played that moron soooo bad! He tricked him into flying straight into his own missiles! The very ones he sent after _us_!"

After Krystal finished her next story, their large audience erupted in laughter once again. The four members of the Hunting Party were sitting at a table in the spaceport's bar, also occupied by Scarlet, Taylor, Kung Furry, Panther, Leon, and a wide variety of onlookers who stood behind them. The table was completely littered with glass mugs filled to different levels with varying contents, smoldering cigarettes, and all manner of unattended firearms and weaponry.

Phoenix grinned sheepishly and blushed, but that didn't stop Krystal from continuously praising him in front of their newly acquired audience. When he arrived at the table, the vulpine unloaded the new supply of beer, scattering the glass cylinders across the onyx surface.

Slamming his mug down, Falco smiled and asked, "Really, Phoenix? You did all _that_? Way to go, man!"

Phoenix scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Well, it's a bit of an exaggeration–"

Krystal slapped his back, grinning at him. "Aw come on! You deserve the credit! And I can't stress it enough; it was his _first _time flying!"

As the crowd dissolved in various "oohs" and "aws", Krystal attempted to pass another glass of alcohol Phoenix's way, but the vulpine merely grimaced and shoved it away.

"Hey, look, uh, Krystal..." he tried to say privately to her.

"Yeah? What? Speak up!"

Raising his voice slightly, Phoenix continued. "Wolf's on the prowl; what if he comes this way?"

"Relax! He won't. There's no way he'll know."

"Still, I'm kinda nervous about–"

"Come on, Krystal; you're up!" Taylor huffed impatiently at the vixen.

"Yeah yeah, keep your stupid fedora on, stylish."

Reaching across the table, Krystal grabbed a cybernetic arm positioned at its center, giving it a good spin. When it slowed and came to a rest, the prosthetic arm pointed with middle finger extended at Panther, who quickly grinned in response.

"Well, that's the way the corn chip crumbles!" The black leopard grabbed an unopened beer, popping the cap off. Raising the glass bottle until it caught and reflected the barroom's multicolored lights, the feline rapidly drained the contents into his mouth, the onlookers cheering him on. With the amber liquid completely emptied, he slammed it back down to a slight smattering of applause and took his turn spinning the robotic appendage.

"You are really going to regret this," Phoenix warned Krystal.

"Eh, as long as you see me back to the ship, I can get as plastered as I want." The vixen's eyes lit up with excitement as the arm began to slowly stop and give her the finger.

* * *

"You know Phhhhoenix... you're a nice guy, you know that?"

After a solid hour, the drinking game had ground to a halt, mostly because the players neither had the concentration nor the awareness to know that a game had even been going on in the first place. At the moment, Krystal sat next to Phoenix, her arm around his shoulder and her face close to his own. The tod had escaped intoxication by ducking whenever the arm pointed his way, thus going unnoticed, though usually landing Krystal or Falco with the prerogative to take the drink.

The vulpine's nose wrinkled at the strong smell of alcohol carried by her breath, but he resisted the urge to recoil. When the vixen's eyes wandered to the bottle she held in her right hand, she eagerly raised it and tipped it into her mouth. No liquid came out, but she didn't seem to notice. She hadn't noticed for the last ten minutes, in fact. As the night went on, and the alcohol continued to take effect, Krystal slowly became friendlier and friendlier with Phoenix – even uncomfortably so.

"Yesssiree," Krystal slurred, resting her head on the vulpine's shoulder. "Phhhhoenix is the bossss! Boy, you ssshowed 'em..."

Phoenix shifted awkwardly in his seat, trying not to disturb Krystal too much, but the vixen caught on quickly.

Lifting her head back up and staring at him with sleepy eyes, Krystal pouted, "Whatsamatta, Lionheart? Are you... are you _ssscared _of lil ol' Krysssstal, is that it?"

"Psh, you're kidding! 'Course I'm not–"

"You sssstill sscared after I tried to shoot you in the bathroom earlier today, huh?"

"Hey, look, Krys, I understa–"

"Well guessss what?" The vixen straightened up proudly, slamming her empty glass onto the ebony table. "That was aaaall a lil' joke! A lil' joke's all it was."

Phoenix's ears suddenly perked up at Krystal's admission. "You... you really mean that? You were just messing with me the whole time?"

Wincing and holding her head, Krystal mumbled, "S-sure, yeah, whatever. If you want it to be..." and with that, her head fell back onto Phoenix's shoulder, and she began snoring obscenely.

Phoenix glanced around the table for anyone who was sober enough to ask for help, but he only found Scarlet, who was slumped over the table, staring apathetically at another empty bottle.

"Hey, uh, Ms. Altruis? Scarlet?"

The crimson furred vixen looked up, absently spinning the bottle in her hands. "Yeah? What do you want?"

Phoenix glanced sideways at Krystal and nodded towards her. "Can you... take her back to the ship? Like to her room or something? It's just that... I wouldn't want to leave her here with all of these... criminals running around."

"Sorry Phoenix; you're own your own," Scarlet said as she slumped back down and resumed staring at the patterns of light in her beer bottle. She smiled mischievously, a twinkle in her eyes. "You see... I may or may not have planned this from the beginning. In fact, the whole evening went better than I expected."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Honestly... you and Krystal!" Scarlet exclaimed, apparently annoyed at how dense Phoenix was. "I could sense you two had quite a spectacular falling out today, so I decided to play a little game of matchmaking."

Eyes suddenly popping out of his head, Phoenix glanced fearfully back and forth from Scarlet to Krystal. "You're saying you _meant _for all this to happen?"

Scarlet shrugged. "Well, at least something like it. But that's not the point. Go on, take her home – she can't make it there on her own, and you certainly can't leave her here."

Phoenix gulped. "So, do I like... _carry _her, or can I wake her up? I don't think I'm strong enough to–"

After checking to make sure all of her weapons were on her persson, Scarlet suddenly stood up, leaving the table. "I can't. I just can't watch you stumble through this part. It's too painful. Au revoir."

He was left alone at the table with a Cerinian vixen and a crew of intoxicated acquaintances. The vulpine turned his attention back to Krystal.

"All right; here goes nothing."

* * *

Ten minutes later found the pair of foxes stumbling into Krystal's room. Kicking open the door with his foot, Phoenix entered her quarters with the vixen's arm draped over his shoulder, reeling under her pressure. While the bounty-huntress was anything but overweight, her well-toned figure coupled with Phoenix's wiry frame made it difficult for him to support her.

As the door swung open, the dim, florescent light from the _Great Fox's _hallway illuminated the room, shedding light on the messy floor. It was covered in a carpet of various bottles of alcohol, cigarette butts, and copies of outdated arms supply magazines.

Drunkenly swaying into the room, Phoenix helped the vixen to her bed, somehow managing to lay her down on top the wrinkled sheets. As soon as her head hit the pillow, Krystal seemed to fall asleep; she had been little more than a walking zombie on the way over.

With Krystal in her bed, Phoenix awkwardly proceeded to unstrap and remove her combat boots before slipping her legs under the sheets and pulling the covers over her lithe frame. Stepping back (and nearly slipping on an empty bottle), he surveyed his handiwork. The vixen softly snored, blissfully cuddling up against her pillow. The light from Sargasso's starfield and the hangar's atmospheric containment field filtered in between the slats in the window blinds, sending striped bars of light across her sleeping body.

Phoenix smirked. _Well what do you know. Maybe she does have a soft side after all._

Glancing away from the inebriated vixen, he looked around the room. What should he do next? Just leave? She'd wake up with no one around or any explanation as to how she got there. Plus, he hadn't figured out how to lock the _Great Fox's _doors, meaning there was no way to know that a prowler wouldn't be able to sneak into the ship. Was staying his best choice?

Sighing, the vulpine grabbed one of Krystal's extra sheets and curled up in a cushioned armchair next to her bed, kicking off his shoes as he did so.

Resting his head against the soft fabric, he couldn't help but grin at Krystal's light snoring. It was cute, even. And, thinking back on the day's earlier events, Phoenix realized everything had turned out for the best. In fact, he couldn't remember a day in recent years since he had this much fun or felt so accomplished. Had he really flown a spaceship? With the ex-members of the Star Fox team? Had he really taken down that monster of a Cornerian vessel? And now, to top it all off, he had helped Krystal back to her room and was waiting to make sure nothing happened to her that night – a true gentlemen.

It was the one night in many years that he hadn't slept alone.

The whole thing was almost too positive for him; he couldn't stop smiling at the warm feelings in his chest and heart.

Closing his eyes, he whispered, "Good night, Krystal..."

* * *

** A/N: You have no idea how tempted I was to split this chapter up _yet again, _but with Sheppard riding my ass to get it done, I went ahead and finished the whole thing. Regardless, this chapter has turned out to be the longest in the story so far. "Just one more chapter," I promised him, and I made sure to make it the longest I possibly could.**

** I misspelled the word "spacecraft" as "spacecfart" somewhere in here, and believe me, I really wanted to leave it in. The typo was in the middle of a section that was already confusing enough, so I didn't want to muddy the water anymore than I had to with a joke like that. Ha. Get it?**

** So, the next story arc will be co-authored with Sheppard Studios! Keep an eye out for it.**


	16. True Chainz Part 1: Visions

**Chapter 16: True Chainz**

**Part 1: Visions**

* * *

** Sheppard's A/N: This isn't my story? The hell am I doing here? **

**Well, the short and sweet answer is this: Elarix won the contest I hosted almost three months ago (wow it's been that long already?) and as a result, he won a s****h****ort one-shot from me. Well, considering that everyone was most likely one-shotted out after that contest, we agreed to split the work of his ongoing story (this one right here in case you couldn't figure that out). So, for the next couple chapters**—**just until this arc is finished—he and I will be collaborating on this project. I'll tell you right now, just after the first scene we did, this is going to be fun. I'm having a blast already.**

**For my viewers that have transferred over to see what I'm doing, let's play a game. Find areas where you can distinguish one writer's work from another. Then again… pfft, good luck. I never realized how similar our writing styles were until we collaborated like this. **

** Anyway guys, do both of us a solid and drop a few reviews and tell us what you think of this collab. I'm bringing my own mantra over here, which is 'feedback is always welcome and greatly appreciated'. I read all of the reviews, even if it isn't my story. So please, dump your thoughts here. I'll try to beat Elarix to replying to them. Don't be surprised if you get two replies to a review. ;)**

** That should do it from me. Take care fellas, and enjoy.**

** Elarix's A/N: Suprise mofos, it's collab time. I would've liked to have begun this story arc and gotten it out a long time ago, but the last arc just kept getting more and more bloated and split up. Kinda like how bacteria reproduce, I guess. Ugh. Still, when we finally got started working together, the whole process went a lot smoother than I thought it would; we were able to churn out a 9k-word chapter pretty fast, considering we both had to balance work and assignments.**

** So, for any of Sheppard's fans, or for the few readers out there who aren't familiar with his works, get ready for some of his OCs to pop up in the near future. After all, it has become a signature selling point for _The Hunting Party._**

**All right, we've added to the word count enough already. Get reading!**

* * *

_Howling wind. _

_ Gaseous, yellow air. _

_ Swirling eddies of dust. _

_ A metallic floor coated in dirt. _

_ Some form of helmet, visor clouded by breath._

_ The light reflected off patches of the floor not covered in sediment. Slowly, two shadows drew across the ground, cutting off the last rays of light.__The poisonous cloud of air disappeared down floor vents in the corners of the room. Finally, a hiss sounded as new, clean air filtered in, filling the room from similar vents mounted in the ceiling._

_ "...ow do you like that... still work..."_

_ The helmet came off, followed by a pair of gloves that restricted the hands' senses. Numerous shades filled the metallic room, all covered in shadow. A fox, an amphibian, a blue falcon, a hare... several canines attired in military wear... an owl with white plumage... and a wolf, bound and on his knees. Stepped closer to the fox's side._

_ "Get up..."_

_ The avian officer dealt the wolf a swift kick, goading the lupine into struggling to his feet. He stumbled forwards, falling into a small clearing on the floor surrounded by two pairs of huskies and bulldogs. The rest followed, stopping when the group halted before a reinforced door, worn __and weathered __by years of sand and dust blasting against it. Once again, the lupine was harshly kicked forwards, and he fell to his knees in front of a panel set in the door frame._

_ "One-zero, seven-zero... three-one-four... five."_

_ One of the huskies listened to the lupine as he pressed some keys on the security node. After the last entry, a panel slid open, revealing a glass eyehole__ – which surprisingly did not have any of__ the same wear as the rest of the facility._

_ The lupine leaned against the wall, placing his only functioning eye against the lens. A red light flashed for a second, illuminating the wolf's iris... then the panel closed. Another hiss sounded, and the steel door sluggishly opened._

_ One of the bulldogs placed the barrel of his rifle against the lupine's head, who glared up at the soldier with his remaining eye defiantly. The canine looked at the owl, asking something, but his words were muffled._

_ "...use to us. Might... future."_

_ The bulldog nudged the wolf, who rose to his feet once again. One by one, the group entered the newly revealed passageway, which was even darker than the room before it. The four soldiers illuminated their path with lights mounted on their rifles, while the hare and amphibian __scoured__ the hallway with flashlights._

_ The golden fox's hand was warm__ and __reassuring. His eyes turned, and his smile caught the light of one of the flashlights for a second. "...be okay."_

_ A new room, filled with flat, black screens, covered in dust, yet untouched by corrosion. The wolf tried to sit in a wheeled chair in front of the largest monitor, but a husky struck him with the butt of his rifle, __causing him to fall out._

_ "...ice try..."_

_ They all stood around the large, blank screen. A guard searched underneath the desk, pressing something before straightening back up. The screen flashed with blinding, green light... a log in, another code required. The wolf obliged._

_ The screen flashed again, darkening to reveal a muddy ocean, diagrams of aquatic life, numbers, graphs, estimates, figures, a timer..._

_ The owl gave orders to a soldier, who knelt and inserted an object into the monitor. The fox's eyes narrowed, and he squeezed the blue hand in his. "...planning on doing, Snow? What can you use..."_

_ "It's part of the... ation. Our directive was... ect intel on... bioweapons."_

_ "What for?"_

_ The pair's words became loud and heated. The golden hand let go, green eyes flashing. The amphibian spoke up angrily, and the hare said something in a measured voice, agreeing. __The view shifted __upwards. The guards had circled them, now between them and the hallway. The owl drew his gun._

_ A blinding white flash, a bang. Confused, scared._

_ A large, metal atrium; silver, cold as ice, unforgiving. In front, an alcove. The feet of a large, black tube. Next to it; a red, LCD display._

_ Drew closer to the pod mounted in the wall. Closer... heart pounding, gut churning, blood running cold. Nearing the LCD, eyes widening, red letters glowing..._

_ McCloud._

_ DECEASED._

* * *

Phoenix's eyes shot open. He let out a gasp on impulse, grabbing onto the soft edges of the armchair. Immediately looking over, he noticed Krystal sitting bolt upright in bed with her covers fallen away from her heaving chest. Her azure fur was soaked through with sweat, and her mouth hung open like a broken hinge as she panted for breath. Her eyes darted wildly about the room to try to take in her foreign surroundings—as if she had slept for centuries to wake up in some distant future or had woken in a completely different world. Hugging her legs to her chest in a pitiful and evidently frightened way, she stared at the blank wall in utter confusion, unable to remember how she had arrived there. After her panicked, turquoise eyes landed on Phoenix, she slowly began to calm down.

"Phoenix? How did... how did I get here?"

The vulpine reached for his shirt—which he had removed earlier in the night—and hurriedly pulled it on over his head. "You uh... got pretty drunk last night and couldn't make it back here on your own, plus I didn't want to leave you at the table for the night, so... I brought you back here."

Krystal winced, grabbing her head. "Ugh... so, you're saying you brought me back to my room? And you... stayed with me?"

Phoenix's face burned. "Well, yeah... I didn't want to leave you alone without any explanation. And... and it's not like I tried anything, you know..."

Krystal smiled weakly. "No, it's fine, Phoenix. Really... thanks for looking out for me. I... I appreciate it. I think it was kinda sweet."

Looking down, the vixen noticed her sheets, clothes, and fur were all soaked through with cold sweat. Flinging the covers off, she slipped out of bed and tiptoed over to her dresser, careful to avoid the mounds of trash and bottles that littered her floor. The drawers of her bureau were all open and in various states of disarray, with dirty articles of clothing lazily hanging from each heavy bin.

As Krystal hunted through the piles of unorganized clothes contained within the dresser, Phoenix asked, "So... what _was_ that? I woke up from this weird dream—a nightmare, I guess. I didn't recognize anything of it, to be honest. You don't look too good either... did you have it too?"

Apparently giving up on finding clean clothes, Krystal slammed the drawers shut in frustration and made her way to the bathroom. When Phoenix stood up and sat on the edge of her bed, the vixen began slipping out of her damp clothes, dropping them in a loose, haphazard pile on the tiled floor. After he heard the shower door open and the faucet begin to run, he turned his back on the bathroom door, which Krystal had left wide open.

Facing the chair which he had slept in, Phoenix tried to remember the course of the dream he had before waking up. He had been in a hangar or something like that, in the midst of a large group of people. He was sure he recognized Slippy and Falco, and... had the prisoner been Wolf? The head of the Sargasso Syndicate? He considered it unlikely; he had both his arm and leg intact... no, he was missing the same eye as Wolf, so it had to be the same person.

"Hey, who won?" Krystal called from the shower, fighting to be heard over the droplets of water splattering against the ceramic walls. At the sound of her voice, Phoenix unconsciously glanced into the bathroom, briefly catching a glimpse of Krystal's lithe, blue silhouette behind the shower door. Face immediately reddening, he turned away again, embarrassed.

"Er, what do you mean?" he asked, lowering his head.

"The game," the vixen explained. "Who won? Who was the last to pass out?"

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry—I don't really remember. You all got pretty wasted around the same time, and the game just kinda ground to a halt after that. Scarlet was the only one who didn't fall asleep, though."

Krystal growled from the shower. "Ugh, please don't mention that woman's name to me; it does nothing for my hangover."

The faucet squeaked, and the constant spray of water abruptly stopped. The shower door creaking open was the next sound Phoneix heard, and Krystal momentarily stepped out with a towel wrapped around her torso. She sat down on the side of the bed opposite Phoenix, their backs to each other.

Krystal sighed tiredly. "So... you probably want an explanation for what happened, right?"

Phoenix thought for a moment. "Hey, if you don't want to tell me–"

"No, you deserve one; you've earned it after staying with me," the vixen interrupted, then yet again let a sigh escape her nose. "Phoenix... What just happened was… you just shared one of my dreams. Cerinians are like that, you know; we can read minds, tell what people are thinking... but sometimes, it goes beyond that. I... I have that same dream a lot. I fucking hate it. It's one of the reasons I've never brought any sucker home with me – why I've never crashed with a good-looking guy. If I get close to someone and hit that deep sleep... my subconscious wanders. I have dreams... and anyone close to me—anyone I've spent a lot of time and become good friends with—I drag them into it, too. Because of that, I can't sleep with anyone... I scare people with the dreams I have. Do you understand what I'm getting at, Lionheart?"

Phoenix's ears drooped, but he nodded. "Yeah... I feel bad for you."

"Well don't," she snapped sourly. "I don't need your sympathy. As for what you saw... you know what it was, don't you?"

Phoenix remembered Wolf's story from earlier. It all fit perfectly with what he had told Phoenix. The Hunting Party—called "Star Fox", then—had been hired to look for one of Andross's bioweapons. They had brought Wolf along with them to Venom, in the hope of gaining access to the research base and the files contained within. That was the day the great Fox McCloud died. And the last part...

It all made sense now—the cryotube, the atrium, Krystal's meltdown. The bodies had been arranged alphabetically, meaning McCloud came before Meinhard. It was Fox's icy coffin that had caused Krystal's lapse of sanity that day.

"Are you... are you fine with me seeing all that?" Phoenix ventured hesitantly, breaking the silence.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, yesterday, you literally tried to kill me... after you found out Wolf told me everything."

Krystal's head fell. "Oh, _that_..."

Another awkward silence descended on the room, only punctuated by the dripping shower faucet. Suddenly, the Cerinian's voice struck a more vulnerable, higher pitch as her eyes wandered back to him.

"Phoenix?" she squeaked out. "Why did you stay? After all I did to you?"

The tod shrugged his shoulders, then immediately let them slump again. "I don't know, though I've certainly had plenty of time to ask myself that... I think it's because I've never felt like I was part of anything before. I mean, not like this. I've had a few friends, but I fell away from most of them after going to the university... Ever since then I've just never felt useful or wanted before. You guys... you guys really care. I've helped out on a bunch of missions, made some great and not-so-great choices—stupid ones, even—but I feel like I'm doing something, more than I'd ever do in a normal life in a normal society. There's just... something cool about going against the law, going against the norm where you're not expected to act a certain way—where you don't have to give a damn about life.

"And I know I'm not a big risk-taking guy, nor do I like roller-coasters, or flying, or stuff like that... but I've been through so much with you. I've saved people's lives, taken others, and had my own life saved by you more times than I can count. I've ridden on the inside and outside of a space fighter and shot down a giant ship made by both Andross _and _the Cornerians alongside you. I've had bullets shot at me, knives thrown at me, and explosives tossed my way… some, by you. I was nearly cannibalized by a panda in the bathroom of a crummy bar in an asteroid field in the middle of space, and I've had a little girl die in my arms while my heart pumped her stolen blood through my veins. So, when you pulled that gun on me, and started firing..."

Phoenix snorted softly, smiling. "That... that was nothing! I thought, "I can deal with this," because I was use to it. And... and I just want you to know, there's nothing new you can throw at me. There's nothing you can do to make me leave you... or the Hunting Party. You can shoot me in the knee like you did when we first met... you can threaten to murder me with your fancy, classic guns... you can make me kill people with my own hands... Hell, you can share your nightmares with me. At this point, I truly don't care. It's welcome. I... I think I want more, even–"

Phoenix was taken by surprise when Krystal abruptly fell against his back, her wet hair soaking his shoulder and neck. She just leaned against him with her eyes closed and her breaths long and silent, as if she didn't give her actions a second thought. When she didn't stir after a few moments, Phoenix eventually got over his surprise and let his own head sink back until it rested on Krystal's damp shoulder.

They sat on the bed with their eyes closed, simply taking each other in. Phoenix's thoughts drifted back to the night they were marooned together on Zoness, alone in the urban ruins of some god-forsaken city where they had shared a similar moment. Yet... it was different this time. They hadn't been through as much together as they had been through now…

Krystal's head slowly rolled on his shoulder until it rested against his cheek. Immediately afterward, he was struck by a strange smell that somehow rose above all the alcohol and trashy soap. It smelled like... flowers… some kind that had never been found in all of Lylat before. It was foreign, yet soothing—as if they told of a distant home away from home.

"Phoenix... thanks."

* * *

The rest of the month proved to be a slow one for business. Jobs and contracts abruptly stopped filtering in, leaving many a bounty hunter, assassin, and mercenary without work. The most likely cause was the joint offensive Lylat's outlaws mounted against the Cornerians, and their subsequent victory. A defeat for Corneria meant the corrupt empire would be extremely displeased; trade routes would be watched scrupulously, interplanetary customs would face heightened security, and the Cornerian Defense Force would be especially on the prowl for any illicit activity. With the increased security, potential employers were hesitant to hand out missions and arrange contracts, fearing their operations would be uncovered. Ergo, a lull in jobs for the criminal underworld.

The four members of the Hunting Party were gathered in the bridge, a tense silence between them. Long periods of unemployment never had a positive effect on team morale, a rule that held true for the Hunting Party. Falco grew more and more frustrated with his inability to find a job; he checked the team's inbox almost hourly, and often frequented the back channels of the interplanetary net looking for postings. Krystal, perpetually in a confrontational, argumentative mood, became even more cross and angry than normal. And, by the end of the month, even Phoenix and Slippy found themselves snapping at each other. It was a wonder that the team had been able to gather in the same room.

When an offer finally came, however, they were desperate to pick it up. Well, at least some were.

"Hey guys... do you remember Meinhard?" Slippy awkwardly pierced the silence of the bridge, spinning in his seat to face the rest of the team.

Falco raised his eyebrows, but Krystal initially scoffed. "Meinhard? That cat nearly got us killed on Fichina trying to look for his supposedly dead daughter. Stupidest mission I've ever been on in my opinion."

"He's requesting a call," the amphibian continued, scratching his head.

"What's he want?" Falco intruded before Krystal could shoot the call down.

"I don't know, he just wants a call."

"Well I'm not stealing another supposedly dead body," Krystal piped in, crossing her arms. "Drop the call."

"Krystal, it could be an actual job," the avian argued. "And Meinhard has money, so if we were to do something worth his while, imagine the payment we'd get."

"Remember what happened last time? He didn't give us enough details and we almost died, bird-brain," Krystal snapped back. "No. Not. From. Him."

Falco turned his head to face the orange vulpine, who looked as though he might fall asleep at any moment. "Phoenix?"

The vulpine suddenly jerked his head upward, almost falling out of his seat in abrupt shock. "Ah, huh, what now?"

"Meinhard's on the line," Falco repeated with a slight, unnoticeable snicker at the fox's unconscious outburst. "Should we accep—"

"No, we're not talking to him again," the blue vixen intruded once more. "I don't care if he's the only person in the entire system that can get us a job. Never again."

Phoenix frowned and gently cocked his head at her. "I think we should."

Krystal jerked her head in his direction and instantly stared daggers at him. "Lionheart, I swear to—"

"Mr. Meinhard!" Slippy intentionally said loudly to get Krystal's attention, which worked judging by how she stopped speaking, but subsequently looked as though she would tear the mechanic's head off given the chance. "It's been quite a long time."

"_It has indeed,"_ the Siberian cat replied with a smile as his body materialized in a swirl of holographic pixels. _"It's nice to see you four are all still in one piece."_

"Give me a few seconds and _he_ won't be," Krystal remarked bitterly, again staring at the frog with looks that would paralyze a normal person in fear.

"_And it's good to see that nobody has lost their charm I suppose,"_ Meinhard chuckled to lighten the mood, but inadvertently made the tension between the team members higher. Seeing as how at least two of the members were on the verge of fighting, the cat awkwardly cleared his throat and folded his hands. _"Anyway, I've gotten sidetracked. I've called you today because I believe your team deserves more than what was given to you for recovering my daughter."_

Krystal's evident anger seemingly flipped into total confusion as she slowly picked herself out of her usual seat. "Wait, you paid us fifty million credits for recovering her body. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but do you really think that isn't enough?"

Meinhard shook his head._ "Dead or alive, my daughter means more to me than you can ever understand. Plus, you risked your lives to get her out of that facility. I honestly don't think I gave you enough for repayment."_

The blue vixen's curiosity exponentiated at the sincerity and sureness of his tone. "What kind of repayment?"

"_I received some information regarding an old outpost long since abandoned with an unknown amount of highly valued treasures __stored within_," he continued, scratching at his ear. "_As far as I know it's __all __still intact. Shall I elaborate?"_

Krystal's muzzle slowly curled upwards to form a slight grin. "I like the sound of this… keep going."

Meinhard nodded. _"Do you mind if I give a little backstory for this? It won't make any sense to you unless I do."_

"Please do, Mr. Meinhard," Phoenix said softly.

"_Very well. During the Lylat Wars years and years ago, Andross established numerous outposts on Fortuna to potentially use the planet as a base of operations when he decided to invade Corneria. Supposedly, he thought that he could cut travel time from Venom to Corneria by creating an outpost there. Unfortunately for him, the jungle climate and terrain proved to be too much of a challenge for what he had in mind, and he ultimately abandoned the planet after Corneria began its counter offensive. In the end, it proved to be a vast waste of time and resources." _

"So what's this have to do with our reward—er, mission?" Krystal interrupted tiredly, sitting back down in her seat and crossing her legs.

Meinhard chuckled silently._ "I know, you want me to cut to the chase. __Rumor has it that__ Andross doubled that base of operations as a vault of sorts. As in, most of the property and valuables he confiscated as spoils of war eventually wound up in __this__ vault. When Andross' army started to collapse, he had to retract his forces from Fortuna so they could regroup on Venom. Because he forced them back so suddenly, his soldiers had to leave behind his accumulated wealth and treasures; they could only hope they would return to claim them another day."_

Both Falco and Krystal's expressions lightened up to pure interest. Leaning forward, Krystal asked, "How much are we talking about here?"

Falco immediately gave her a gentle backhand on her shoulder, meriting another glare from the vixen but another bout of mirthful chuckling from the Siberian cat.

"_I personally have no idea,"_ Meinhard admitted. _"For all I know it could be nothing, or it could be __more than a__ fortune locked up in those vaults. It's a game of chance, really. But, considering that the information came from an escaped Venomian war criminal, I can only conclude that the information is reliable. __I am sure there__ is quite a valuable treasure contained in those vaults." _

Phoenix started to get a bit suspicious. He rubbed the underside of his muzzle to give a visible notion of his curiosity and hesitance. "Wait, if the Venomians had intel on the base, why didn't any survivors go out and claim the treasure before other pirates or bandits did?"

"Yeah, Meinhard, this doesn't seem right," Falco agreed. "The rogue Venomians would have been all over that wealth as soon as Andross' empire collapsed. Why haven't they gone to reclaim it yet?"

"_The last Venomian squadron to enter the base's ruins never came back, and ever since then they've been hesitant to return,"_ Meinhard explained, folding his paws. _"However, that was five years ago, and nothing has been heard from the base except for vacant radio frequencies. Those treasures could still be there." _

Krystal, even with all of the explanations given to her, still seemed hesitant about it all. "So… You're just… _giving_ us this supposed treasure?"

"I'm_ not giving it to you,"_ he corrected. _"It's your choice whether or not you go and claim it for yourself. I'm not trying to influence your decision, but I would think it would be worth your while if you managed to claim all of that fortune for yourself."_

Phoenix looked over at Krystal when she did the same to him. After exchanging confused glances, Phoenix turned back to the Siberian cat and shrugged his shoulders.

"And you're sure about this?"

"_Of course,"_ Meinhard smiled. "_Phoenix, your group deserves much more than what I have given you, and, because of your own decisions, __**you **__especially_ _deserve more. In fact, your team __has you to thank__ for this mission. Consider it a bonus for __that__ little talk we shared. You truly do not understand how grateful I am for your services; the only way I could ever come close to repaying you fully would be to assist you in claiming this wealth for the wellbeing of your team." _

All four Hunting Party members exchanged glances back and forth between each other, contemplating the idea of claiming this supposed fortune. Falco had heard enough; he was all smiles just thinking about it. Slippy looked indifferent, while Phoenix and Krystal slowly started to realize that this mission was indeed for the better of their team. Eventually, the blue avian cleared his throat and nodded at the holographic cat.

"Okay… we're in."

* * *

The hangar doors of the _Great Fox_ screeched as they opened, accompanied by the hiss of hydraulics. Falco and Phoenix, who stood before the opening gates, simultaneously raised their arms to shield their eyes from the bombardment of light that filled the hangar once the doors opened wide enough to expose the sun. When the metal gates stopped and locked into place, they stepped over to the edge of the hangar, staring out at the scene that greeted them.

Slowly, the effect of the glaring, blinding light faded away, revealing a vibrant green landscape surrounding the _Great Fox_. Immediately, the fox and falcon were slapped in the face by the tropical environment which assaulted their senses like a bomb detonating mere feet away. Their ears were ravaged by a sonic blast composed of the thousands of songs sung by wild birds in a deafening unison, along with the incessant chirps of insects and the sound of bubbling streams from some invisible water source. A wall of multifariously shaded greens surrounded the dreadnaught on all sides, formed by lush emerald fauna and dotted with exotic flowers growing in all sizes and colors. The trees stretched up far above the warship's excessive heights, obscuring the landscape with hanging vines, twisting branches, and wide green leaves that fanned out and shaded the forest floor from the harsh sunlight.

Carrying his load of supplies over to the hangar's edge, Phoenix prepared to step down. When he noticed the ground was submerged underwater, he quickly leaned backwards, desperately windmilling his arms to keep from falling forward.

Finally regaining his balance, he huffed impatiently. "Slippy didn't say anything about landing in water!"

Falco joined him at the loading bay's edge, pursing his beak as he eyed the aquamarine pool. "It's the only clearing large enough for the _Great Fox_ for miles," he explained. "Only spot to land."

The avian stepped down from the hangar platform, submerging his boots in what proved to be a mere foot of water. Turning back to grab his supplies from the ledge, Falco added, "It's pretty shallow. I'd better warn you though: you'll welcome any form of water once we get going. The jungle climate could get as hot as hell by midday."

After sitting down on the hangar edge, Phoenix slid off into the water, creating a small splash and sending even more ripples across the pool's surface. The two teammates hitched up their gear and headed for the shore—a thin dirt bank covered in ferns and other undergrowth. Once they stepped onto dry land, they set their supplies down and sat on top of them.

"Why does it always seem like we end up doing the work?" Phoenix complained, removing a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his face. "Slippy never seems to be around, and Krystal just kicks back and watches. Sometimes she even makes us carry _her _around. Speaking of Krystal, where is she?"

Rifling through his pack of supplies, Falco muttered, "Oh, she said something about changing. Her exact words were, 'slip into something more comfortable,' whatever she means by that..."

Phoenix raised an eyebrow, giving the falcon a curious look. "More comfortable? She already wears shorts and a top without a midriff. How could she possibly get any more—"

At that moment, Krystal stepped into the harsh sunlight baking the entrance of the _Great Fox's_ cargo hold. She expertly balanced on the ledge before stepping off into the water, barely even making a splash. When Phoenix caught sight of her outfit, his eyes immediately bugged out and his jaw nearly snapped from dropping so low.

The cerulean-blue vixen had apparently dressed with the jungle climate in mind, though Phoenix thought her raiment was more suitable for a trip to the beach. She was only dressed in a skimpy black bra and a pair of black shorts—so short, in fact, that Phoenix swore even his belt was longer than them. Needless to say, the outfit was distracting to the highest degree.

After longingly staring at Krystal's exposed body as she waded ashore, Phoenix felt a spray of blood shoot from his nose. Immediately pinching his nostrils shut, he bent forward in embarrassment and tried to keep the blood from dripping down the back of his throat.

Cocking her head, Krystal asked with genuine concern, "Phoenix, what's wrong?"

She waded through the water and stepped onto the shore by his side, leaning in to get closer to him. The male vulpine's eyes widened once again, this time at the proximity of the vixen's... _assets. _

"Are you okay?" Krystal repeated, bending over towards him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

*Bleeding intensifies*

"Yeah, uh, sorry about this," Phoenix explained nasally, still with his nose pinched shut. "It happens from time to time, usually when I'm overstressed. Use to be school, now it's the miss—"

Krystal straightened back up, placing her hands on her hips and narrowing her eyes. "You've never had anything like this before," she stated with a doubtful voice. "And believe me, you've been stressed _plenty _of times during our missions."

Phoenix laughed awkwardly, adjusting his grip on his nose. "Yeah, haha, I do seem to get worried pretty easily, don't I?"

Krystal cocked her hip to one side and crossed her arms below her chest. "What, is there some joke I'm not getting? Are you referencing something?"

When Phoenix didn't answer, the vixen rolled her eyes and turned her back on the two men.

"Fuckin' weeaboo," she muttered in distaste.

While Phoenix sat down by the side of the pool to clean the blood from his hands and face, Slippy appeared in the _Fox's _hangar. He sat down on the platform ledge, swinging his legs back and forth slightly—due to his diminutive size he couldn't even reach the water.

"Brought y'all the tracker," the mechanic said. He tossed a small, hexagonal piece of equipment to the three teammates, which Falco easily caught. "It measures the stray radio signals from the base's equipment and points you in the general direction. So far, it's the only way to locate the base."

Phoenix and Falco gathered around the handheld device while Krystal slipped over to the pool's edge, gazing out across the turquoise water. Falco pressed the 'on' switch, causing a green LED screen to light up. The device began generating an electronic wave graph, which slowly pulsated every few seconds.

_B__eep-beep... beep-beep... beep-beep..._

As Falco rotated the tracker in his hands, a red needle set in a compass-like centerpiece faithfully pointed in the planet's westward direction.

The avian whistled. "I know Meinhard has connections, but I would've never pegged him to be the kind of guy that deals with Venomians."

Skipping a smooth stone across the pool's surface, Krystal impatiently said, "Yeah, well, seeing firsthand what kind of dicks the Cornerians are does that to people. That's the one thing I can praise the ol' hard-ass for."

Looking up from the tracking device, Phoenix noticed the Hunting Party's mechanic quietly slipping back inside the ship.

"Hey, Slip; aren't you coming?" the vulpine called out.

Slippy paused, halfway obscured by the gate frame, his face hidden from view. "No... wasn't planning on it."

"It would be cool if you joined us this time; we could sure use you," Phoenix tried to persuade him. "There's no telling what might be out there in the jungle. Plus, it's like your natural habitat, right?"

The amphibian shook his head. "Sorry, I've got my own responsibilities. Gotta hide the _Great Fox _and see that no one attacks it while you guys are out. Maybe... maybe some other time."

Phoenix's smile fell; he felt sorry for the reclusive mechanic. "Okay... well... see ya later, Slip."

"Take care, Slippy," Falco called as well before the frog disappeared into the _Great Fox._ Momentarily, the behemoth's thrusters roared to life, causing the jungle pool to froth and boil. The dreadnaught slowly lifted into the air, sending strong ripples and waves across the pond's otherwise smooth and serene surface before rising above the treetops and disappearing over the edge of the clearing.

"Krystal, come on; we're leaving," Falco abruptly called out when the dreadnaught's thrusters became inaudible to their ears. Phoenix followed the avian's example, swinging a pack of supplies over his back while carrying an equipment case in each paw. As Falco struggled to manage his own load, Krystal strutted by and swiped the tracking device from his hands.

"I'll take that, thank you," she remarked sarcastically. "I can't stand waiting for other people to lead the way..."

Phoenix followed Krystal as she slipped into the undergrowth, eyes uncontrollably drawn to her swaying hips as if they were magnets. Falco brought up the rear, though he lagged behind a bit, glancing up at the forest treetops. Somehow, he couldn't shake a suspicious feeling about the pristine jungle.

Still, the avian turned his back on the pool and dove into the undergrowth, hurrying to catch up with the pair of vulpines.

* * *

Only twenty minutes into the long trek through the humid, neverending jungle, and Phoenix was already starting to sweat. Beads of moisture permeated his forehead and eyebrows, some falling down his face tracing lines reminiscent of winding rivers across his auburn furred cheeks. He grunted, shifting the heavy pack on his shoulders as he continued down the steadily sloping terrain.

"How far away is this base, Krystal?" the vulpine panted.

"Quit whining, Lionheart," Krystal snapped back, somewhat muffled by the overhanging vegetation and thick vines surrounding them. "We get there when we get there."

"And how long will that take?"

"The hell if I know. Just shut up and keep walking."

Phoenix sighed impatiently and did what the vixen commanded, keeping his trap shut and begrudgingly following the team. It was starting to get hotter. The humidity was making it hard to breathe. Eventually, just the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other became a chore for the poor vulpine.

"Still doesn't look like we're making any progress," Phoenix heard the blue avian groan.

"Of course it doesn't; we're not expected to make quick and easy progress on something this painstakingly difficult," Krystal explained. "Maybe next time you should look into the specifics of a job before you accept it."

"Hey, at least we found one. That's just the norm anymore."

Krystal let out a sigh. "SNAFU… Situation normal…"

In unison, Phoenix and Falco said, "All fucked up."

A few seconds of silence later, Krystal abruptly stopped in her tracks as her vulpine ears twitched and swiveled around at the sound of some underbrush rustling. Growling at the approaching vulpine, Krystal whispered, "Phi, stop moving."

Phoenix obliged almost instantly, but much to Krystal's dismay the rustling did not follow suit. She put her head on a swivel and looked at every single open area around them, but still couldn't find the source of the rustling. She was starting to get worried.

"Something is following us," she deadpanned.

"What?"

"I said something is following us!" the vixen said through clenched teeth, trying to keep her voice down. She instinctively pulled out one of her silver handguns and fired one shot up into the air; the noise startling all wildlife within a given radius, including the birds who shot out of the trees they were perched in as well as her two teammates.

In reply, a blue laser bolt shot out of a pile of foliage and just missed the blue vixen's wildly flicking tail by inches. Krystal _literally _jumped five feet into the air, acrobatically flipping herself towards the origin of the shot and replying with her own gunfire. She fired three shots at the foliage before her boots finally touched back down on the ground.

"Ambush!" Krystal shouted, drawing her second handgun and firing shot after shot in quick succession as she followed the path of the rustling leaves. Occasionally, the unknown figure would fire back blindly, but Krystal was always a few steps ahead, nimbly dodging the bolts as they whizzed past her head and ears.

Phoenix stayed put behind one of the trees, fearing that if he tried to move Krystal would mistake him for an enemy in her state of blind rage. Falco, however, had better ideas; he unfolded his plasma rifle and primed it, waiting for his target to become visible. Krystal had other means, as in every little movement she saw in her peripheral vision she shot at.

When both of her silver handguns were spent of their allotted ammunition, Krystal forcefully ejected the empty cartridges and flipped the guns into the air. Once she did so, she pulled out two more full magazines of bullets and held them in her paws, waiting for her twin handguns to fall back down to her. Effortlessly, she slipped the magazines into her pistols, primed them in less than a second, but instead of firing she held them to her chest and blew away the trails of smoke rising from their muzzles.

"Where the fuck are you?!" Krystal roared in a state of primal anger.

"Is that you, Krystal?" a strangely familiar voice called out from the bushes she had just finished ripping bullets through. Seconds later, a red furred vixen's face popped out into view, a smug smirk creasing her muzzle. "I knew it! I'd recognize those awful one-liners anywhere!"

"Fuck you Scarlet!" Krystal snapped, only for her anger to vanish instantly once she uttered the familiar name. "Wait, Scarlet? What the hell are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you," Scarlet remarked, rolling out of the heavy foliage she had hidden in. Her iconic catsuit was covered in pieces of grass and leaves, which she brushed away as she walked up to the blue vixen.

"I asked you first," Krystal deadpanned.

"All right, all right, jeez," the red vixen smirked. "What got up _your_ ass?"

"Don't talk to me about having stuff up my ass," Krystal retorted, starting to seethe. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, is it that time of the month again?" the red vixen questioned condescendingly.

Krystal snarled and pressed one of her handgun barrels into Scarlet's face. "I'm not fucking around here!"

"Jeez, all right, Krystal, learn to take a joke once in awhile," Scarlet giggled, gently pushing the handgun out of her personal bubble. Noticing Krystal's jungle attire, she smiled and raised her eyebrows suggestively. "Well, aren't we dressed for the occasion. Getting a bit frivolous with your outfit, don't you think?"

Krystal glanced down at her scanty bra and shorts for a moment. "It's super hot here, okay? I dressed for the weather. You, on the other hand…"

"Alas, I did not array myself in suitable attire for the harsh jungle climate," Scarlet mockingly lamented. Fondling her zipper—still kept pulled down to her waist—she added, "I would slip out of this torturous outfit, but…"

She stepped over to Phoenix and cupped a hand over his ear, whispering, _"I'm not wearing any_—"

Growling, Krystal grabbed Scarlet's arm and jerked the vixen away from Phoenix. "All right, enough of that. Remember to keep your distance."

"Forgive me, Phoenix; I enjoy toying with the weak of flesh. So… have you lost your virginity yet?"

"Excuse me?" Phoenix gawked.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm just teasing you two," she laughed, gently bumping the blue vixen next to her.

"Knock it off, Scar!" Krystal warned. Gently raising her pistols once again, she continued, "It looks like you have some explaining to do. Come on; out with it. Why are you here?"

The crimson-furred fox glanced around the clearing, noting that she was surrounded and outnumbered by two. "Well, it looks like I have no choice. I've been hired to investigate rumors of a nuclear stockpile on this planet. Supposedly, there's a base nearby that's just brimming with weapons of mass destruction."

Krystal looked absolutely mystified. "The hell are you talking about?"

"I just told you why I'm here, did I not?"

"I understand that, but that's not what's in those vaults."

"What!? Then what is?"

"_We_ were told it contained Andross's confiscated spoils of war."

Scarlet burst out laughing, bordering on the insane. "You're joking, right?"

"I most certainly am not," Krystal stated firmly.

"Then something is clearly messed up here," the red vixen blurted out. "Why would someone tell each of us that two different things were held up in those vaults?"

"Who'd you get your information from? Who's your employer?"

"You know I mostly work for the Gaia Corporation, and this is no exception. Felix briefed me on the mission himself. He wouldn't lie to me!"

"Ah yes, good ol' Felix Sparta," Krystal mumbled. "Trustworthy, righteous, Mr. Nice Gu—"

"All right, Krystal, where did you get _your _mission from?"

"A pretty trustworthy source," Phoenix spoke up, coming to Meinhard's defense. "We completed a contract with him before. It was… family business, I guess you could say. He owes a big emotional debt to us, so he wanted to repay us by offering this mission."

"I don't know," Krystal grunted, holstering her handguns. "Something is definitely fishy about this."

"I could give a guess," Scarlet remarked confidently.

"Right back at ya, Miss Fetish," Krystal smirked.

"Oh so now you start—"

"Girls," Falco interrupted, rubbing his forehead. "Instead of you two bickering like children, how about we just join together for a while to get to the bottom of this funk."

"Me? Work with _her_?" Krystal shouted as if the avian was stupid to even consider the notion.

"Falco's right, I like this idea," Scarlet nodded. "Something's up if two separate employers with intel of the situation called each of us with completely different information. I don't know what it is, but it's not right."

"How do you know for sure?" Krystal questioned, still reluctant to team up with her.

"A hunch," the red vixen answered. "I know these kinds of things when I see them. No way both of these big-shots are right. One of them has to be wrong, and I need to get to the bottom of this."

"I want to know too, Krys," Falco added. "Something is definitely screwy."

Krystal sighed and placed a paw over her forehead. "All right, fine. Scarlet, you can help us, but I swear to god if you try anything stupid I will rip your head off and shit down your neck."

"That's a risk I can live with," Scarlet smirked, taking a few steps backwards and pointing down the way. "Now come on, let's not waste any more time."

* * *

Once again, Phoenix found himself soaking his clothes with his sweat as he continued the neverending trek through the humid jungle. Even with Scarlet following them closely, the route to the abandoned Androssian base did not get any closer. In fact, it felt like the trip was becoming longer and longer the more the red vixen commented on everything and everything regarding their situation and their team in general. Krystal, evidently, was getting extremely impatient putting up with her mindless and repetitive babbling.

At the head of the group, Krystal came to an abrupt halt, raising an arm to signal the rest of their party to do the same. Her ears twitched, slightly rotating back and forth as if searching for a faint sound.

"Quiet!" she ordered. "Do you hear that?"

The other three members stopped in their tracks, quickly falling silent and listening. Over the next forested hill, there rose the sound of... music. A song was carried to them over the muggy jungle air, composed of swelling, triumphant brass instruments and perilous, tense violins.

Scarlet blinked in confusion. "Is that... _Wagner_?"

Phoenix was equally bewildered. "Yeah. Sounds like "Ride of the Valkyries" to me."

"Krystal," Falco asked, rubbing his forehead, "Why the fuck is someone blaring Wagner in the middle of the jungle?"

Turning back slightly to the rest of the team, Krystal said, "I don't know... but I have a sneaking suspicion. Come on, let's get a better look at the top of the hill."

The Cerinian vixen lead the hike up the steep incline, though their passage was much more cautious and calculated than before. Once they arrived at the top of the hill and were able to see down into the valley below, they paused to take a look.

Below them, through the leafy jungle canopy, they were able to make out a large force of soldiers milling back and forth. They seemed to have set up an encampment in the valley, with numerous camouflage and khaki colored tents already raised.

Falco sat down abruptly, rubbing his face with his wings. "Wrong… This is all so wrong. First Scarlet shows up, and now all of a sudden there's a freaking_ army_ between us and the treasure."

"I knew something like this would happen!" Krystal exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air in frustration. "I was against this mission from the beginning. Remember what I said about taking another mission from Meinhard? How he_ always_ gives us faulty intel or leaves out an important piece of information? Well how the hell do you forget to tell someone about an entire freaking army!?"

"_You_ were pretty eager to accept the mission once you heard how much money could be involved," Phoenix reminded Krystal.

"Shut up, Lionheart!" the vixen ordered, nearly shouting—though her voice was adequately masked by the operatic piece blaring below. "I believe _you _were the one who wanted to take this up from the start! Now, I can understand that prick not knowing his daughter was alive_ or_ that she was being used for some sort of bioweapons research; but an_ army?_ That is just whole new levels of ignorance. And one of the most important rules of bounty-hunting work is that you never,_ ever_ tell someone about the job! If you do, all of the sudden you get competitors and other outfits going after the same thing! And that makes it ten times more difficult! First, Scarlet here shows up for_ our_ mission—"

Indignantly, Scarlet placed her hands on her hips. "May I remind you that it's just as much_ my_ mission as it is yours? I was hired by a different contractor under completely different conditions. You're looking for treasure; I'm looking for nuclear armaments."

"Yeah, well it doesn't change the fact that you're still here!" Krystal shot back. "Along with whatever army is down there! Of all the stupid—"

Falco rose back to his feet. "All right, obviously there needs to be a change of plans. We have to find out who those soldiers are, and what they're doing here."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Krystal asked.

"We split up; go down the hill to take a closer look. In smaller groups it'll be easier to travel unnoticed, and if two of us get caught, it won't be the end of the world. We have got to find what they're up to."

Scarlet stepped over to Phoenix and threw an arm over his shoulder, making the male vulpine look completely uncomfortable as his ears flattened against his head. "Well, it looks like Phoenix and I will have some time to get..._ acquainted_. I'll pair up with you, and Krystal, honey; you can go with feathers."

"Abso-fucking-lutely not!" Krystal shouted, putting her foot down. "I am_ not_ letting you two go alone together in the hot, steamy jungle all by yourselves! There's no telling what you'll do. Phoenix; you're coming in me!"

Phoenix blinked. "Er, you mean I'm coming_ with_ you?"

"I know what I said!"

Scarlet rolled her eyes. "Fine: if you insist, princess. At least give Falco and me the device. That is, unless you trust Phoenix with—"

"Oh-ho-ho no, nice try, Scar," Krystal said. "You're not getting the tracker, either—not so you can ditch Falco and run away with it by yourself."

"Well, what if _you _get caught?" the crimson vixen countered. "The soldiers down their will get their hands on the device instead."

Krystal paused to think. "Hmm... I hadn't thought of that. All right: you and Falco keep your distance from the camp and start heading towards the base. Me and Phoenix will cover the espionage part instead. If we find anything, we'll report to you via comm link." She stepped towards Scarlet, reluctantly handing over the tracker. "Here's the device. Try not to fuck yourself with it, will ya?"

Accepting the tracker, Scarlet commented, "I noticed you haven't been using your staff lately. What happened to it? Did it mysteriously disappear up your—"

"Come on, Phoenix! I can't stand this woman any more. Let's get out of here before our ears shrivel up and fall off, or... something." And with that, the vixen grabbed Phoenix's paw and began pulling him down the hill.

The tod waved back to Falco and Scarlet, saying, "See you later!" before Krystal jerked his arm forwards and stole his attention once again.

* * *

At the bottom of the hill, Krystal and Phoenix paused at the edge of the forest clearing. With any noise they might make effectively covered by the blasting, dramatic music, Krystal lay down on the moss-covered ground and slid forwards beneath the undergrowth. While the Cerinian whipped out a pair of binoculars and peered through the bushes at the encampment, Phoenix crouched down behind her, though his eyes wandered elsewhere besides their target.

"Can you see anything?" Krystal asked, looking through the nocs.

Phoenix swallowed as he scanned Krystal's exposed back and legs. "Not enough," he answered.

"They're a pretty big outfit," Krystal continued, describing the camp. "They've got plenty of tents, supplies, weapons... and they have to be pretty confident, or else they wouldn't be blaring that awful music. Plus, there are only a few private military outfits that big."

"What color are their uniforms?" Phoenix asked absentmindedly, pretending to be interested in their current task.

"Khaki, mostly. It looks like they've got red armbands... yep, it all makes sense now. It's what I thought from the beginning. The Wagner, their outfits, their bloated pride; they're Neo-Androssians."

"Remnants of the Venomian army, right?"

"Uh huh. If anyone would have a particular interest in that treasure, it would be them. Though why does their extraction attempt correspond so closely to our own? Did Meinhard's Venomian contact leak the information to them as well? And why is Scarlet looking for something completely different in the same spot?"

"My curiosity is getting more and more aroused," Phoenix mumbled.

"That's not your curiosity, Phoenix," Krystal sighed tiredly, making the male vulpine's tail tuck between his legs. "The camp is down there, Lionheart."

The bushes rustled behind them. The pair of foxes looked back, and were horrified to see a monkey dressed in full Venomian uniform standing behind them, apparently just as surprised as they were.

The simian began to shout at the top of his lungs, calling for help. Shooting from her hip, Krystal placed a bullet in the monkey's stomach. His warning call was abruptly cut off, and he fell to the forest floor, vainly clutching his gut.

"Damn, a scout!" Krystal hissed. Scurrying to her feet, she grabbed Phoenix's arm and pulled him back into the forest. "Come on! We have to get out of here before—"

The two vulpines were tackled to the ground from behind, and their arms were locked behind their backs. Krystal screamed numerous strings of profanities, kicking and clawing viciously, but their assailants managed to strip them of their weapons and supplies. In seconds flat, their hands and feet were tightly bound, and the Neo-Androssians began dragging them into the midst of the camp.

They were harshly brought to the center of the encampment—a small clearing in the midst of the tents and supply caches—and were rudely dropped on the bare dirt floor. Just as quickly as they hit the ground, hands grabbed them by the hair and roughly pulled their heads up.

The next thing they felt were razor sharp machetes against their necks, glinting silver in the sunlight.


	17. True Chainz Part 2: Thinly Veiled Nazis

**C****hapter 17: True Chainz**

**Part 2: Thinly Veiled Nazis**

* * *

"Wait! No! Don't kill us!" Phoenix shouted desperately, the silver-bladed machete pricking his neck.

A large crowd of Venomian soldiers gathered around the clearing in the center of the camp, eagerly awaiting the death of the trespassers. Their ranks were evenly divided between simians and reptiles, including all species of monkey, ape, lemur, lizard, and crocodile. Krystal and Phoenix, however, were currently bound and on their knees, with two primate soldiers firmly pressing cruel blades against their necks.

Attempting to lighten the situation, Krystal laughed, "Haha! Well, uh, this was unexpected. Fancy meeting you guys here!"

The large gorilla holding a machete to Krystal's neck roughly shoved her to the side, nearly tipping her over. "Quiet, wench! You're in no position to speak now."

"What do we do with them?" the spider monkey asked the ape, nervously holding onto Phoenix's bindings. "Do we have to kill them?"

"We wait for the Commandant's orders," the ape huffed in reply. "He'll decide."

"Oooh, a commandant," Krystal mocked. "Sounds_ scary_."

The ape edged his blade up closer to Krystal's jawline, causing her to lean her head back and clamp her mouth shut. "Silence! Don't mock the Commandant, dirty Cornerian!"

Phoenix finally worked up the courage to speak again. "Really? Does she_ look_ like a Cornerian to you?"

"Hey, q-q-quiet there!" the monkey stuttered. "Don't make me do this!"

"Achtung!" a monkey shouted from the sidelines. Immediately, the spider monkey and gorilla at the vulpines' throats straightened up, and the circle of onlookers fell into organized ranks.

A snow monkey momentarily stepped out from a tent, dressed in full military uniform consisting of a pine green coat and trousers, red and gold shoulder epaulets, and a black peaked cap complete with silver-polished skull and crossbones. The officer positioned his riding crop behind his arm before he took a series of confident strides out into the middle of the field, coming to a stop in front of Phoenix and Krystal.

Clicking his boots sharply together, the officer extended his arm into the air and exclaimed, "Heil Bowman!"

"HEIL BOWMAN!" the rest of the troops resounded.

"Oh brother," Krystal muttered, rolling her eyes.

Extending his riding crop behind him, the Commandant bent over and studied Krystal and Phoenix condescendingly.

"Herr Alvin, Herr George: what do we have here?" the officer addressed the gorilla and spider monkey, respectively.

"We caught them spying, Herr Commandant," Alvin explained. "They killed one of our scouts!"

"Did they now?" the Commandant mused. "Trying to spy on us, were you? Well look where that got you! Once again, we have proven that your_ inferior_ race of vulpines is no match for us primates—the one superior race!"

Within the ranks of soldiers, a lizard coughed loudly.

The Commandant rolled his eyes. "Oh, uh, yes; and the reptiles! Who are_ also_ superior!"

The lizard soldier grunted in satisfaction.

Returning to the pair of prisoners, the officer barked, "Now... vulpine worms! You are in the presence of Commandant Janik Draisaitl, leader of the First Order of the Neo-Androssian—"

Krystal scoffed. "_Seriously,_ Sheppard_?_ "Draisaitl"? Like the German hockey player?"

Bending closer to Krystal until his mouth was right next to her ear, the Commandant yelled, "SILENCE! You will speak only when spoken to. Learn your place, vermin!"

Krystal recoiled from the excruciatingly loud outburst, but once again found her movement restricted by her bonds and the sharp blade at her neck.

"Under military law, I have every right to order your execution," Draisaitl continued. "You have killed one of our royal soldiers, and are little more than spies who have committed espionage against the great Neo-Androssian Army! HEIL BOWMAN!"

"HEIL BOWMAN!" came the inevitable response.

"Heil Bowman..." George unenthusiastically mumbled, a few seconds too late.

"Still, we won't execute you just yet; you may be of some use to us." The Commandant straightened up and began pacing back and forth in front of the bound prisoners, riding crop bouncing under his arm. "Now, I have some questions for you two, and you are in no position to refuse an answer!" Whirling around to face Krystal again, he extended a black-gloved hand and asked, "Tell me, why are you here?"

For once, Krystal closed her mouth, keeping obstinately silent.

"What are you looking for?" the Commandant pressed.

When he got no answer, he spun around to face Phoenix, roaring, "Speak up! Are you after the vault?"

Phoenix gulped, his Adam's apple dipping dangerously close to George's machete, but he took the hint from Krystal and remained silent.

This time, instead of getting angry, Commandant Draisaitl simply smiled. "Listen, you two; we can do this the easy way... or we can do this the_ fun_ way."

Krystal's ears twitched. "The uh..._ fun_ way?"

The primate smiled, halting in front of the vulpines once again and placing his hands on his hips. He grinned.

"Torture."

Phoenix frowned. "That doesn't sound very fun."

"Unless you tell me what you two are doing here," Draisaitl continued, "Things could get pretty painful for you. Now... which of you two shall we work over first, hmm?"

Phoenix glanced sideways at Krystal, who was already looking hopefully at him.

_Me!?_ the vulpine mouthed in shock.

Krystal nodded vigorously.

"Good!" Draisaitl exclaimed. "I never liked torturing women. It just isn't good manners!" Draisaitl clapped his hands. "You two; get them on their feet and follow me!"

Alvin and George hoisted Krystal and Phoenix off their knees until they could properly stand. Then, they lightly prodded the vulpines in their backs with their weapons, goading them into following the energy-filled Commandant, who skipped off merrily to whatever place he had in mind for the interrogation.

As they marched briskly after the Commandant, Krystal leaned closer to Phoenix and whispered in his ear._ "Don't say a word about the mission—no matter what they do to you! We can't let them know about the treasure, and especially not about the weapons Scarlet's after!"_

_ "I never signed up for any of this!"_ Phoenix hissed back._ "Nobody said anything about getting tortured! And for what? A load of money and goods that were stolen from law-abiding families during the Lylat Wars? This is stupid! It's wrong!"_

_"Look, just don't give in! We need this treasure, or we might have to eat rice and beans for the rest of our lives! Look, I'm sure Falco and Scarlet will come for us; just try to hold out until then."_

Phoenix scowled and looked at the grass-covered ground passing beneath his feet.

_"Okay."_

* * *

"This... is an ancient art of torture perfected by the shogun warriors of Zoness nearly a thousand years ago!" Draisaitl proudly explained. "It has never once failed to make even the strongest of endurers crack and spill all they know! Behold... bamboo and water torture!"

Alvin and George had tightly secured Phoenix to a patch of baby bamboo chutes, the stubs of which pressed up into his back as he lay on top of them. Above his head there had been placed a wooden barrel filled with water, with a small hole that had been poked in the bottom.

After the Commandant finished his exposition, there was a quiet silence throughout the jungle clearing, which was only broken by the sound of a drop of water landing on Phoenix's forehead.

"Ow."

Krystal struggled against her bonds. ""Ow!?"_ "Ow!?"_ How much of a pussy are you!? You call this torture?! I've seen worse done by little kits to their stupid pets! Let me at him! I'll show you how to_ really_ torture a wimp like—"

Turning his head as much as he could towards the vixen, Phoenix called, "Krystal, not helping!"

Commandant Draisaitl knelt down beside the tod, scratching his chin as he peered at the growing chutes and the dripping water above Phoenix's head. He prodded the bamboo stalks with his riding crop.

"Hmm... maybe this wasn't the best idea for torture after all. Bamboo sure takes a lot longer to grow than I thought it did. But believe me, if we had the time, in a few days you'd go insane from imagining a hole in your head, and you'd have sprouts of bamboo growing straight through your skin and organs! What a pity, though..."

"M-maybe we should just call the whole thing off?" George suggested in a high-pitched voice.

"Nonsense!" Draisaitl exclaimed in a sing-song voice as he sprang to his feet again. "We'll just have to try a faster method! By Andross, I swear I'll break this fox if it's the last thing I do! HEIL BOWMAN!"

"HEIL BOWMAN!"

"Heil Bowman," Phoenix mumbled tiredly from under the barrel. Another drop of water landed on his forehead, and he flinched.

"Ah."

* * *

"Tell me what you are looking for!" Draisatl demanded. The Commandant was standing at the edge of the shore of a stream, while Alvin held Phoenix's head slightly above water a few feet out into the creek.

"Never tell him!" Krystal shouted encouragingly, kneeling on the pebbly bank beside the officer.

"Look, Herr Commandant, or whatever—" Phoenix began to plead, but the officer gave the signal, and Alvin forced his head underwater. The move had been so unexpected that Phoenix let out a gasp of air, causing a storm of bubbles to rise up around his face. He gasped desperately for a breath of oxygen, but the loyal ape held him mercilessly under.

Finally, Alvin lifted his head above the flowing stream, and the vulpine coughed out a mouthful of jungle water. He gratefully breathed in the fresh air, but once his ears cleared of water he heard the pleasant sound of the Commandant's voice reaching him from the shore.

"Well, vulpine scum? Why are you here? Are you looking for the vault?"

Phoenix coughed. "I swear, I don't know what you're—"

But once again, the general signaled, and Alvin forced his head back underwater. This time, however, he held him under longer.

After what seemed like an eternity, the gorilla raised Phoenix back up, allowing him to momentarily gorge his lungs on the welcome air.

"That's it Phoenix!" Krystal called out. "You can outlast them! You can take—"

Before Krystal could finish, Alvin forced Phoenix's head back underwater. He had been midway through taking a deep breath of air, so his lungs instead pulled in an influx of water. He coughed and choked uncontrollably, but he only succeeded in losing more air. This time, he truly felt the sensation of drowning.

His head was jerked back above water, and he further coughed up the liquid contents of his lungs.

"...an do it, Phoenix! Pretend you're at the gym! Pretend you're in the middle of a high school workout, and your P.E. teacher's exercising you to death! You managed to pull through it then, right? Or did you just dodge all your gym classes? You know what, that's probably why you're so skinny and weak right now; you skipped all your—"

In quick succession, Alvin dunked Phoenix's face into the water and back out again, only allowing him to catch fragments of Krystal's words.

"Attaboy, Phoenix! Keep it u— ...I can see the reward right now! Can't you feel it? Can't you feel it in your han— ...at's it! Pretend you're bathing in the reward! Pretend you're bathing in all that money! Credit packs filling up the tub— ...in a skimpy bikini next to you! Well, I guess no bikini's actually more— ...gold coins raining from the shower nozzle!"

"Herr Alvin!" Draisaitl impatiently barked.

Letting go of Phoenix (and letting him sink below the surface for the umpteenth time), Alvin saluted his officer. "Yes, Herr Commandant?"

"I have a feeling this isn't working."

"Then I shall try harder, sir!"

The Commandant shook his head. "It appears that repeated submersion will not crack this vermin. But do not lose heart! That means we may try other enjoyable methods!"

"I will do my best to think of more, sir!"

At Alvin's feet, a series of bubbles began rising to the surface.

"For Andross' sake, soldier!" Draisaitl exclaimed, "Don't let him drown for real!"

The gorilla looked down, noticing Phoenix lying disconcertingly still in the streambed. "Oh." In a flash, he grabbed the fox by the scruff of his neck and lifted him up again. The vulpine didn't move.

Alvin slung Phoenix over his back, then waded to the bank where the Commandant, Krystal, George, and the rest of the former Venomians stood watching. He heaved Phoenix off his shoulder, unceremoniously laying him face up on the pebbly shore. The fox's mouth lolled open, and his chest showed no sign of rising or falling.

"Uh, does anyone know CPR?" Alvin asked tentatively.

All eyes turned to Krystal, whose face contorted when she stared at Phoenix's open muzzle.

"Don't look at me. I ain't giving him mouth-to-mouth."

"Dammit," Phoenix cursed, rolling over onto his side.

* * *

Slowly, George lowered the creature onto Phoenix's face.

"Gah!" Phoenix exclaimed, closing his eyes and pulling his face away from the descending hand. "Too many legs! Too many le-heh-hegs!"

Crouching atop George's gloved hand was a brightly colored tarantula, it's prickly legs covered in yellow and black stripes, and its eyes glowing a vicious red color.

"Ha! I don't see why you're so scared! Though your lack of courage is peculiar to your kind," the Commandant chided him.

"That's just a stereotype!" Krystal shouted. "It's no different than those racist "sly fox" comments that I can't stand."

Ignoring the Cerinian vixen, Draisaitl chuckled and looked down at Phoenix. "I found this under my sleeping bag this morning! And you know what I did? I_ laughed_ at it!"

"Get it away, get it away!" Phoenix pleaded, but had to force his jaws closed to keep it from entering his mouth. When George tipped the tarantula onto his face, the only sound Phoenix could make was a high pitched whine from his throat, muffled by his sealed lips. The tarantula wiggled its eight, gangly legs for a second, getting a feel for the surface of Phoenix's fur. Then, the large spider set out across his face until it arrived at the tip of his nose. Once there, it paused to look around, slowly spun around in a few circles, and promptly curled up into a ball, unmoving.

Phoenix cautiously opened one of his eyes to look at the hairy monster, but he immediately squeezed it tight again, moaning in fear.

Commandant Draisaitl snarled. "What? That's _it_? Move around some more! Crawl over his eyes! Bite his neck, dammit!"

But the spider didn't move from it's restful position. Instead, it moved its head slightly to observe the surrounding Neo-Androssian soldiers.

Getting impatient, Draisaitl began poking the creature with his riding crop. "Blast the little devil, ATTACK HIM!"

With hissing fangs, the tarantula suddenly crouched down and sprang off of Phoenix, landing on top of the snow monkey's face. The Commandant yelled furiously as he clutched at the creature, falling on the ground and rolling back and forth over the grass as his staff sergeants attempted to extricate the furry spider.

Krystal burst out laughing while Phoenix breathed a sigh of relief, but the Commandant eventually rose back up again, furiously flinging the arachnid back into the forest.

"Herr Commandant, you are hurt!" Alvin exclaimed, pointing to several tiny bite marks on the primate's bald face.

Draisaitl dabbed at the incisions with his handkerchief, staring apathetically at the small spots of blood that stained the cloth. "Well, let's hope it wasn't venomous! If it is, I am sure to die of excruciating pain within seconds! But I have more important things to tend to."

The Commandant brushed aside his staff sergeants and returned to Phoenix, who was strapped to a table on the edge of the camp.

"Herr Alvin, Herr George; break his hand."

"What!?" George exclaimed, glancing fearfully back and forth between Phoenix and the Commandant.

Alvin, on the other hand, was more obedient. "Jawohl, Herr Commandant!"

The two primates stepped over to Phoenix's side; George holding his arm in place while Alvin gripped the vulpine's paw.

Krystal's mirthful laughter suddenly vanished. "Hey... hey wait, what are you doing?"

The Commandant smiled. "Apparently, psychological means have no effect on the young vulpine. Therefore, we must resort to pain. Break his fingers, one by one."

Stoically, Alvin gripped Phoenix's index finger and palm. With a grunt, he snapped them in opposite directions, forcing them apart until an audible snap resounded throughout the camp. The sound of Phoenix's breaking bones was accompanied by the young vulpine screaming out in pain, which seemed to echo all the way through the forest.

Krystal's smile disappeared. She laughed, drily. "Heh... I bet Scarlet and Falco heard that all the way on the other side of the jungle."

As Alvin moved to break Phoenix's middle finger and George readjusted his grip on the fox's arm, Krystal shifted uncomfortably from her kneeling position on the ground.

_**SNAP**_

The vixen flinched after the next finger was broken, and Phoenix once again cried out in agony. She began squirming in her bonds. Still, after Phoenix refused to answer the question, Alvin moved on to his ring finger.

"AAAAAH!" Phoenix screamed as his third finger was broken, wrestling futily against his restraints. "God... damn it! Geez!"

Finally, when Krystal noticed the tears leaking from his eyes and the contortion of pain on his face, she gave in. Before Alvin could break his little finger, she stumbled forwards, placing herself in front of the Commandant.

"Please, stop!" she desperately cried out. "Stop hurting him! It's not funny anymore!"

The snow monkey raised an eyebrow. "Will you talk?"

"Fine, I'll tell you everything!" Krystal spat.

"About time!" the Commandant knelt down in front of Krystal, lifting her chin with the end of his riding crop. Apparently, the simian wouldn't touch an inferior vixen without a ten foot poll. "Go on; start with why you are here."

"We're looking for the vault—the base that Andross built here on Fortuna."

"Aha! We thought you were after the base. But tell me; what possible use could vermin like you want with its contents?"

"Are you joking?" Krystal snorted. "Any bounty hunter would be a fool to pass up that load of treasure. You have to know about it, right? It's where Andross hid all of his spoils of war; money, wealth, valuables, equipment?"

"Wealth?" the primate officer repeated, openly bewildered. "Material goods? Ha! It appears that your inferior vulpine intelligence is off, my dear."

"Actually, it was a Venomian that told us its location," Krystal muttered.

"Nonsense!" Draisaitl stated. "One of Andross's loyal servants would never give out such invaluable information! How would such an act help to further our glorious cause? Heil Bowman!"

"HEIL BOWMAN!"

"No no no, you've got it all wrong!" the Commandant continued, "The base doesn't contain such petty, trivial things such as worthless credit chips and jewels! Such pursuits are common to your lowly species! No, the vault contains something much more valuable!" He stood up, gesturing to a few of his soldiers. "Herr Saburo; bring it out! Let's enlighten our guests."

A caiman private saluted the Commandant before disappearing into one of the supply tents. He promptly returned, wheeling a large canvas covered in two white tarps.

Stepping over to the concealed canvas, Draisaitl gripped one of the two cloths. "Behold, I present to you..." With a flourish, he ripped off the tarp, revealing a large oil canvas painting. "_The Twelve Knights led by Brunhilde!"_ Then, in a call and response with his troops, Draisaitl shouted, "Sieg—"

"Heil!"

"Sieg—"

"Heil!"

"SIEG—!"

"HEIL!"

Krystal frowned at the painting. "Those are supposed to be knights?"

"Silence,_ vixen_!" the primate commanded, spitting her title. "What would your kind know about art? This..._ masterpiece_ was painted by none other than the Great Emperor, Andross himself! Just think, if the Supreme Lord had pursued his career as an artist, imagine what wonders he could have created! He could have shifted the entirety of art history, inventing new techniques and even movements single-handedly! A pity he was rejected from art school..."

"Are you serious?" Krystal intoned. "You're after the base just for one lousy painting?"

From his position on the table, Phoenix breathed a sigh of relief. "Whew. Well, if that's all you're after. I guess it's not all that ba—"

With a second swift movement, Commandant Draisaitl whipped off the other cloth, revealing black and white low resolution photos of weapon caches.

"The base also holds the Lylat's largest stockpile of conventional explosives!" he exclaimed, jubilantly.

"Oh..." Phoenix murmured. "That is actually pretty bad."

As the caiman rolled the canvas away, the Commandant planted himself in front of Phoenix and Krystal, dusting his hands off. "Well, now that that's over with, we have no more need of you."

"Then you can let us go?" Phoenix asked, hopefully.

Draisaitl chuckled. "Hahahaa! Of course not! Now we have to execute you for killing our scout..." He paused, snapping his fingers. "Oh, what was his name?"

"Brown, sir," Alvin stated. "Private John Brown."

The Commandant tested the name out on his tongue a few times, grimacing. "Brown, Brown... doesn't sound very Venomian, does it?"

The gorilla shrugged. "I mean, we're named Alvin and George. Obviously our parents weren't the brightest bulbs out there."

"Maybe you aren't either; you tried to leave that little blind girl out to die a while back," Draisaitl snapped, and before the gorilla could retort the Commandant waved him off, then indicated Krystal and Phoenix. "Untie the male from the table. Get them both to the center of camp, now. Also, assemble a firing squad. 26 ought to do it—we don't want to appear too flashy."

In a few minutes, Phoenix and Krystal were back in the same position they were in when the whole ordeal first started; bound and kneeling at the center of the camp. Roughly twenty paces away from them stood a line of Venomian soldiers made up of both primates and reptiles—each with a loaded rifle.

Leaning over to her partner, Krystal whispered,_ "Phoenix, we have to do something! If I die by firing squad I lose a bet!"_

_"All right, all right; I'll try to think of something."_ Phoenix glanced hopelessly around the campsite, looking for anything that would be of help. His eyes landed on George, who had seemed to be the least enthusiastic out of all the Neo-Androssians... but there was no guarantee the soldier would agree to help, or even be able to do anything, for that matter. And with Alvin, they would even have less success. Apparently, he had to do some talking, and he had to do some talking_ fast._

"Raise rifles!" The Commandant ordered, prompting the line of soldiers to aim their rifles at the pair of kneeling vulpines.

"Wait! Wait, wait, please wait!" Phoenix desperately begged. "You still need us!"

"Aim!"

"We have to show you where the base is!"

"Fi—" the Commandant suddenly cut his order short, hand still raised. "You mean, you can lead us to the base?"

_"What are you doing?"_ Krystal hissed._ "You know Scarlet has the tracker; there's no way we can lead them to the vault!"_

_ "I know that, but if they find out we don't know where the hell we're taking them we're dead!"_ Then, raising his voice, he addressed the Commandant, "Of course we do! You don't think we'd come to Fortuna if we didn't!"

Draisaitl narrowed his eyes, palming his riding crop. "Tell, me vulpine rogue; why should we trust_ you?_"

Phoenix struggled desperately for an answer. "Because... because you've got us underneath your thumb at this point; there's no escape for us! If you ever doubt us, just kill us! But you need us to find the base! A commander as great as you, sir Draisaitl, and an army as reputable as the Neo-Androssians, deserve a fitting pair of guides to lead the way! How else will you find the path to the base and recover Andross's invaluable painting, thus furthering the glorious cause of the Neo-Androssian army, and the Great Emperor Andross himself? HEIL BOWMAN!"

"HEIL BOWMAN!" the soldiers agreed.

Krystal jabbed Phoenix in the ribcage._ "Stop that!"_

Draisaitl scratched at his chin hair. "I admit, we may only have a general idea of where the base is... but that's because our Venomian intelligence is so good that they even kept it a secret from us, mind you! Whatever you may hear, they did_ not_ lose the maps to the base! But, if you can lead us directly to the vault, you may save us valuable time! If you take us there... I may consider sparing your lives. After all, the lives of two lowly foxes aren't even worth the trouble to take. So, on your feet! You will lead us to the Fortunan base!"

As Alvin and George helped Phoenix and Krystal back on their feet, Draisaitl turned to address the rest of his men. "There is no more time to lose, soldiers! We are leaving immediately, while the light of day is still with us! Gather the supplies, collapse the tents, and load up the vehicles. Vulpine scum, you will lead the march; I want you at the head of the column!"

Within ten minutes, the entire camp had disassembled, leaving nothing but a large, trampled field where the Venomians use to be. The hundreds-strong force of Venomians gathered in a thick column of troops and vehicles behind them, leaving Phoenix, Krystal, Alvin, George, and the Commandant at the head.

Once all of the forces were in order, Commandant Draisaitl began energetically jogging in place. "Company... march!"

Krystal and Phoenix were prodded forward by a pair of rifles, and they took off at a hurried pace into the jungle.

Stepping closer to Krystal, Phoenix whispered,_ "Which way was the base again?"_

_ "West, I think,"_ the vixen answered.

"Oh. Uhhhh... which way is west?"

"Are you serious?" Krystal growled. "How do you not know which way is west? I thought you were good with directions."

Phoenix chuckled sheepishly. "Krys, my sense of direction is worse than Elarix's."

"What?"

"Have you seen the situation we're in? We're all over the place. We'd still be stuck at my university if Shep had been here earlier."

"Why? Because it takes him forever to get a story off the ground?"

"Nah, probably because he's got like five other projects. And that's another question; why is he wasting his time here? This is garbage."

"Well, let's be honest; five other projects he'll never get around to finishing—and that's with a total of three people on his account. But remember; he's here because _Happy Story_ kicked his ass."

"Quiet!" Draisaitl barked. "Quit breaking the fourth wall!"

* * *

It was sunset by the time the long march through the jungle ended. Behind the two foxes, Commandant Draisaitl's voice rang out, "HAAAAAAALT!" causing all of the troops to ground to a stop. Krystal and Phoenix, their hands tied behind their backs, stumbled forward a few steps, their legs moving on autopilot, before they fell to their knees and face-planted into the soft earth. Both vulpines heaved and gasped for breath, panting loudly. For Phoenix, his muscles spasmed uncontrollably and his head felt light yet pounded with each beat of his heart.

The fox rolled onto his stomach and gasped, "Water... please... water!" breathing heavily between words. From what little sunset light remained in the jungle, Phoenix could barely make out George bending over him with a round canteen. A stream of water poured into his mouth—and though it was warm, it still felt cool and refreshing when compared to the never-ending march through the hot jungle they had just finished. Beside him, he heard the sound of Krystal gasping and swallowing as she was blessed with a portion of water as well. But before their thirst was even half-sated, the pair of primates took the canteens away, and the pair of foxes were left desperately begging for more.

"We'll camp here for the night!" the Commandant shouted to the rest of the company. The Androssian troops dropped their supplies and equipment, pitching up tents and starting campfires. Phoenix noted that any other mercenary team—including their own—would have never even considered lighting fires. The orange, flickering light and rising smoke would be dead giveaways to any enemies within range. Apparently, for the Androssians, stealth and caution were not in their vocabulary. The blaring music, the crackling campfires, the thundering, marching company—none of it even smelled of subtlety. The Neo-Androssians, however, could afford it. Given the sheer size of the force and the caliber of their weapons, no one could even touch them if they wanted to.

Stepping over to the sprawling foxes, the Commandant ordered Alvin and George, "Bring them to the middle of the camp again. We don't want them escaping." Then, to the prisoners limp from exertion, he added, "Well, it seems like the vulpine race still has some physical strength left in them. I'm surprised you two didn't give out and die hours ago! Still, your stamina and physique cannot compare with that of the ultimate race!"

Tiredly looking around, Krystal and Phoenix observed the muscular primates and lizards, all of whom had barely broken a sweat after their marathon of a march.

"I must be off now!" Draisaitl exclaimed. With a burst of energy, the commandant suddenly began jogging furiously in place. "Herr Alvin, if any of the officers inquire as to my whereabouts, tell them I will be off on a brisk run around the jungle! It's quite a refreshing activity before supper and nighttime meditation! Gets the lungs and respiratory system pumping!"

Still jogging in place, he leaned over the vulpines' slumped forms. "How about it, you two? Care to join me for a quick run?"

Phoenix didn't even twitch a muscle, while Krystal struggled to sit up. She raised a shaking arm and pointed to the Commandant, while her lips and mouth slowly worked. Only an incomprehensible wheezing sound came out, though her eyes glared daggers at the energy-filled simian. Losing her last reserves of energy, she slumped back down and moved no more.

"Right, then!" Draisaitl exclaimed. "Be up early next morning at O-five-hundred!_ Gut Nacht!_"

And with that, the Commandant was off, running briskly into the undergrowth. Following his orders, two pairs of troops grabbed Phoenix and Krystal by the arms and legs and carried them to the center of the camp, not too far from where the Commandant's own tent stood. The pair of foxes were unceremoniously dropped on the mossy-ground, after which the soldiers set to work wrapping long coils of rope around them. With both foxes secured back to back, the troops left them alone, marching over to a nearby campfire surrounded by other primates and reptiles.

While all Phoenix and Krystal could think about was sleep, the sound of fizzing meat soon greeted their ears, and the tempting smell of food drifted into their nostrils. Clinking glass mugs were passed around the fireside, and Alvin plugged a tap into a nearby barrel, serving beer to each of the soldiers. Before long, the Neo-Androssians were in a good mood, cheering and laughing heartily among their own ranks around the campfire. Then, after a few minutes, they eventually broke out into song.

_"Es braust ein Ruf wie Donnerhall,  
wie Schwertgeklirr und Wogenprall:  
Zum Rhein, zum Rhein, zum deutschen Rhein,  
wer will des Stromes Hüter sein?_

_ "Lieb Vaterland, magst ruhig sein,  
lieb Vaterland, magst ruhig sein,  
Fest steht und treu die Wacht, die Wacht am Rhein!  
Fest steht und treu die Wacht, die Wacht am Rhein!"_

The pair of foxes remained uncomfortably tied to each others' backs, stomachs growling in protest while the Androssian's patriotic song was merrily sung in the background.

After a few refrains, Krystal said, "Well, this is awkward."

Phoenix frowned and paused before answering. "Actually, it's rather familiar. I feel like this happens a lot."

"What... you mean being captured by psychotic Androssians, tortured, and forced to listen to their national anthem, or whatever?"

"Er, no. Ending up back to back, I mean."

"Oh."

After a while, the soldiers' drinks began kicking in, and the signing promptly died down—after a healthy portion of extra refrains, of course. The encampment was plunged into a much quieter auditory ambiance, filled by the relaxing sound of the popping campfires, serenading insects, and gentle breezes rustling through the forest canopy of leaves. After their long march, Phoenix welcomed sleep as soon as possible, but he felt like he had to keep up a conversation with Krystal—as if he had to stay awake, in fact.

"I wonder where Falco and Scarlet are," Phoenix ventured.

Krystal thought a moment. "Oh, Scarlet's probably giving him herpes out in the jungle somewhere."

Phoenix couldn't help but grin. "Figures."

"How come she gets to have all the fun? Man, if I wasn't tied up..."

The vulpine blinked. "You'd what!?"

Krystal rolled her eyes. "Geez, don't break your_ other_ hand jerking off, Lionheart. I mean if I was untied, we'd be out of here in no time. Never mind us being in the middle of the camp... surrounded by guards and soldiers... with lots of weapons..."

The vixen hit her head angrily against the ground. "It's just not fair! What makes her so attractive? I mean sure, she's got a big rack, sexy outfit, nice figure and all, but..."

After Krystal trailed off, Phoenix picked up the slack. "I'd say it's her personality. That's one of her best skills; she knows how to cater to men. You, on the other hand... you're much less approachable. You know, people are worried of losing limbs and such. But that's what makes you cool, you know? You're not like her. You're stronger; more independent."

"Hah. Well, "strong and independent" is what landed me here."

"Oh. I guess you're right..."

The vulpines' voices were once again replaced by the crackling fires and chirping insects. Somewhere out in the jungle, a wild animal called, mournfully howling in the night.

"Krystal... can I ask you something?"

The vixen stirred beside him. "Hmm? What?"

"I just wanted to know; do you... do you believe in God?"

"Of course I do. Maybe not the same God you have around here, but still, the creator of the universe and shit. My culture and people were extremely... backwards? Primitive? I mean, we still had stuff like trial by fire, but there was no denying there was some sort of spiritual power at work. I'm a telepath. We had healers who use magic, and oracles that could see the future. There was no question that there was a God, or at least some sort of greater spiritual force at play. 'Course, he's also the biggest dick alive. He'd kinda have to be, to create a world as messed up and flawed like this. And then to brag about being perfect in every way when there's a glaring hole in his creation? Come on."

At this point, Krystal's voice dropped even lower. "And then you have his "chosen" people, the only species in all of Lylat who were gifted with psychokinetic powers, and he just wipes them off the face of the universe. No, I'll never forget that." She spat her next sentence. "I'll never forgive him for it, either."

After a few seconds, she calmed down again. "Uh, sorry about that. Why'd you ask?"

Phoenix's head slumped against the ground. "Oh, I just wondered if even mercenaries believed in God. I was wondering if it was possible to do bad stuff like killing people and still believe in him."

"Yeah, well, even the devil believes in God," Krystal finished, falling silent again.

Phoenix glanced around the still campsite, trying to think of something to talk about.

"I wonder what my friends are doing back at college. I've got this one roommate, goes by "Giichi"—kinda like the water bottle—and he's in computer—"

Cutting him off, Krystal breathily sighed, "Phoenix, what's going on?"

"Huh?"

"You've been incessantly talking for the last ten minutes. Are you trying to keep from falling asleep, or something?"

Phoenix's heart sank, and he was silent for a minute before sighing, "Yeah."

"It's the nightmares, right? You're afraid if we fall asleep, you'll have more of my—"

"No, that's not it," Phoenix quickly interjected. "I just... I know you don't like me prying into your past. I know you've got a lot of personal stuff back there that you don't want me seeing. If I fall asleep, I'll... I'll see more of your memories, and invade your privacy. I know you don't like me doing that, and I promised not to ask any more about it. Heck, you got super angry after you found out what Wolf told me, so..."

Krystal's breathing became slower, and she seemed to relaxed more. "Oh, well, if that's all it is. Look, Phoenix... I don't like thinking of past. I've got a lot of bad shit back there that I don't want to dwell on, and I think both of us would be better off just forgetting about it. But... I don't want you to miss your sleep on account of me. You earned it tonight; you went through torture, you saved both of our asses from a firing squad, and marched hundreds of miles through the jungle tonight. And after all that... you were willing to deny yourself sleep just so you wouldn't pry into my past?"

Phoenix blushed, burying his head into the mossy ground. "Yeah, I guess if you put it that way, it sounds pretty stupid."

Krystal laughed pleasantly. "Really?_ Stupid?_ It's more like naively nice. Honestly, you need to think more of yourself sometimes. Get all the sleep you need, Lionheart. Just... don't worry about whatever you see. Try to ignore it. And there's no guarantee you'll even share any of my dreams tonight."

"Oh... really?"

"'Course not. I may have some screwed up nightmares, but at least they don't happen every—"

* * *

_Blasts of laser fire echoed down the hallway, reaching the dimly lit lab room._

_ The wolf lay on his back on the hard floor, eyes clenched shut and howling. The right side of the lupine's body was covered in blood and singed flesh; his arm and leg twisted and battered beyond recognition._

_ "Wolf, listen to me... ...sten to me! I've got you! You'll... ...okay!"_

_ A pair of blue hands pressed down on a scrap of jacket covering the wolf's arm, while a hare applied pressure to a tourniquet on his leg._

_ The distant sounds of conflict abruptly ended, and two pairs of footsteps returned to the_ _room._

_ "Peppy, how is he?" the golden fox asked, holstering his blaster. "...ill he make it?"_

_ "He's bad... real bad!" the rabbit answered. "...no doubt his limbs will have to come off... ...can't do it here."_

_ The lupine squirmed even harder, but the blue hands forced his arm to stay in place._

_ "...t are we going to do, Fox?" the amphibian asked. "...ey trapped us in here... ...ere's nothing to ...ake care of Wolf with! He'll die!"_

_ "Fox..."_

_ The golden head turned and looked at the speaker. But the green eyes that had once given comfort were now filled with fear._

_ The light from the monitor erupted in snow, then displayed the base's hangar. The white owl glared out at them, face furious and beak clicking._

_ "...f you ever want to leave this planet, you will ...eturn that datachip to me!"_

_ The amphibian clutched the fox's arm. "Don't listen to him! There's no te... what he could use those creatures for!"_

_ "I hate to say it," the falcon began, "But we might have to die here. ...py's right; I'm not gonna trade the lives of millions of people to save my own skin!"_

_ "...en you'll all die here!" the snow-white owl warned through the monitor. "Send McCloud alone with the datachip, or you'll never make it out of here alive!"_

_ The emerald eyes glanced around the room, landing on each off the occupants one by one._

_ "I'm sorry guys; I have to do it."_

_ "Fox! You can't be—"_

_ "I said I have to do it." The green eyes stared back again, this time with an expression that said, "Trust me; I have a plan."_

_ "Fox..."_

_ The golden-furred vulpine sat down beside, and someone took over the task of stopping the wolf's bleeding, thus freeing the cerulean-furred hands. The fox wrapped his arms around, and the blue arms tightly returned the gesture. The vision became blurry—even blurrier than it had been before._

_ "...romise me..."_

_ "What?"_

_ "Promise me you'll come back!"_

_ The fox pulled away, emerald eyes sad but blazing with determination._

_ "I promise."_

_ As the fox disappeared down the hall, all eyes turned to the monitor, which continued to fill the room with a ghostly light. The owl checked something off-screen, and a metallic screeching sounded. The vulpine appeared onscreen, kneeling down on the coppery floor with his arms folded_ _behind his head. The canines quickly searched him, but only ended up finding the datachip he had brought with him._

_ Snarling, the snow-colored owl shoved the chip back at the vulpine. "...ere; show me that the ...ta's still on it."_

_ A blue paw raised in front of the screen, trying to wipe away the blur that had taken over._

_ The vulpine lead the avian and canines to a computer on the opposite end of the hangar, the wall farthest away from the doors. Through the security node placed in the hangar's walls, the bird, frog, and hare could see everything. They held their breaths in anticipation, wondering what their leader had up his sleeve._

_ The fox and his escort stopped at the side of the monitor, which took a few minutes to activate. He began pressing a few buttons, which prompted one of the soldiers to say something and angrily point to somewhere else on the screen._

_ "...t? What are you doing?"_

_ The vulpine looked up at the security node—directly at those viewing from the lab room._

_**"I'm sorry, Krystal..."**_

_ One of the huskies made a grab for his arm, but it was too late. With a lurch, the hangar doors began slowly opening, causing a powerful current of air to sweep through the bay and blast back outside. Small clouds of dust and debris were swept away, but then the gust became so powerful that it knocked the hangar's occupants off their feet. The owl and canines scrambled to grab ahold of anything, shouting furiously; but their voices were drowned out by the overpowering wind. One by one, they were swept out of the hangar and into the swirling mass of muddy, dark clouds outside, lost to the elements._

_ At the sight of the fox getting swept out of the hangar, __the azure paws __got up and pressed __themselves__ against the monitor's screen._

_ "No! NO! FOOOOOOOX—"_

* * *

Phoenix awoke to the sound of Krystal screaming.

Pulse beating, the vulpine tried to turn and check on Krystal, but they were bound too tightly together for him to move.

"Hey, quiet down there!" one of the reptilian soldiers ordered, standing watch a few meters away.

"Krystal, Krystal!" Phoenix desperately whispered, trying to calm the screaming vixen. "Krystal, listen; you're fine! You're all right!"

The Cerinian's scream dissipated, instead replaced by a storm of loud gasps as she looked around. "Fo... Fox? Where...?"

"Shhh; I'm right here, Krystal." The fox reassuringly pressed his body against hers with what little freedom of movement he had. Leaning his head back against hers, he repeated, "I'm right here."

Slowly, Krystal's desperate breaths turned into tears, and her body shook against Phoenix's with silent sobs. "Oh Phoenix... d-dammit! I'm so sorry! I-I can't believe I let it happen again!"

"Shhh, it's fine. I'm just worried about you. It was only a nightmare, right? Just relax. Come on; breathe slowly. Breathe slowly."

"It's just," Krystal sobbed, "It's never been so clear before! I can't take it much more! Seeing him die over and over and over..."

Phoenix had never felt so powerless in his life; not when Krystal had saved him from being assaulted in the restroom, and not even when Kitty had died in his arms. He wanted so badly to turn to the shaking vixen and wrap his arms around her, just as the other vulpine had done in her dream, but he couldn't; their bonds were too tight. He could only lay there and suffer with her, seeing the same horrors replay and feeling the same pain that she felt.

But as Krystal went on crying, Phoenix had an idea.

"Hey... remember when you first kidnapped me?"

The vixen didn't respond—she just lay beside him, quivering.

"When I stood up for everyone, and you fired that bullet at me... I shat my pants."

Through all her silent sobs, Krystal couldn't help but snort. With a lump in her throat, and tears in her eyes, she asked, "You what?"

"I shat my pants," Phoenix repeated. "I literally shat myself right then and there. I had never been so scared before in my life."

"Come on, you couldn't really have crapped yourself; I'm sure I would have smelled—"

"I'm a discreet crapper."

At this, Krystal let out a short giggle.

"No, I mean it; silent and odorless."

She sniffed. "Aw, you're just joking. I can tell."

"Too obvious, huh? Fine; I've never actually—"

"No; the first time you shit your pants was when the cops were chasing us, and I ran over that poodle. Remember?"

Phoenix grinned. "What did you even have against that poodle, anyway?"

He felt the vixen's shoulders shrug behind him. "Oh, nothing much. Little bastard had it coming, I guess. Or didn't you say it was like... fifty points if I hit it?"

"Yeah, that's right. I can't believe I joked like that. I never thought you'd actually go through with it and run over that poor little—"

"He saved us, you know."

Phoenix blinked. "Huh? The poodle?"

Krystal slowly let out a long sigh. "No;_ Fox_, you idiot. He sacrificed his life for the rest of us—for his team. We all owe him something, even Wolf. But for me... it was much more personal. I guess by now you know that we loved each other. He did rescue me from Sauria, after all. He saved me and brought me back to the rest of civilization; I had been so lonely after my planet was destroyed. For years, I traveled on my own. I had to hunt and kill at a really young age, younger than anyone should have to kill and hunt. No one was there to take care of me; I had to fend for myself. It did stuff to me, you know. When Fox found me, I was little more than a savage beast myself—barely wearing anything at all, even."

"Kinda like now, huh?"

Phoenix could tell Krystal was rolling her eyes. "Shut up. As I was saying, without Fox finding and taking me in at that age... I would have lost my intelligence. I would have become a wild animal and descended into... madness, really. I would have been nothing more than a vicious hunter, hiding in the shadows and waiting for my prey. But he found me, and he... he broke my fall. He caught me. Without him, I don't know where I'd be now. Sometimes I wonder... would I even recognize myself?"

"Yeah; little Krystal would be pretty cute," he agreed.

"Phoenix..." Krystal sighed, "You're so dense."

Phoenix was just about to retort, but the sound of rustling bushes caught his ears. He started twitching and swiveling them around to try and pinpoint the location of the rustling, but he still could not find whatever it was that was making that noise. At first he thought an animal had wandered within the boundaries of the camp, but as soon as Krystal let out a shrill gasp, his presumptions had been disproved.

"Holy shit," the vixen exclaimed breathily. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Who is that?" Phoenix asked, clenching his teeth to keep his voice down.

_"Hey, do us a favor and shut up for a second,"_ an unrecognizable female voice whispered back. Phoenix cranked his neck around to the source of the voice, but due to the early morning darkness and the protective equipment the figure was wearing, he couldn't distinguish who it was.

"Who's over there?" a new male voice asked quietly, his voice noticeably trembling in fear.

"An old friend, and… I don't know who the other one is," the female answered. "We still need to get them out though."

"A-a-are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Vince, these apes are batshit crazy. They've probably been tortured already. Plus, we need them. They probably know where the vault is."

"Well, uh… fine, but we're going to need a distraction," the voice referred to as Vince stated, accompanied by the sound of rustling mechanics. "Just need to find the transmitter in here. Gah, where is it?"

"Keep your voice down, Stazac," a gruff, authoritative male voice spoke up. "Spitz, what are we doing? We need to get back to our camp."

"All right, all right, give me a second, Wes; I'm not leaving without them," the female argued. "We need a distraction."

"I'm looking, okay?" Vince interjected, starting to get impatient.

"Whatever you're looking for is probably buried in your man-purse over there," she remarked.

"S-shut up!" Vince hissed. "Sheila, just… drop a smoke and get them out or something."

"Obviously you don't know anything about combat," Sheila retorted. "I can't give our position away by dropping smoke."

"I-I-I don't know what else to do though."

"Then we wait until Taylor and Furry come back. They can create a distraction on the other side of this god-forsaken camp."

"How do we know if they're coming back or not?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake Sheila!" Krystal snarled quietly, struggling against her bonds. "Get us out of here!"

"What do you think we're trying to do?" Sheila snapped back, making sure her voice stayed quiet. "Vince, please tell me you have something in that man-purse of yours."

"It's not a man-purse!"

"Then what the hell is it, a fanny pack? 'Cause it sure isn't a backpack."

"Sheila, please, just let me dig around for something. I can do this."

"If it's anything like you do your research, we're all screwed."

"How is it my fault that the database was monitored?"

"You should know that, mister technology," Sheila countered, continuing, "If you would just be more careful and actually do your research instead of jumping to conclusions, the last mess we got in wouldn't have happened; you know that, right?"

"Sheila!" Krystal hissed through clenched teeth. "Come on!"

"Can't you see we're trying, toots?" she snapped back.

"_Toots_?" Krystal almost shouted. "You did not just fucking call me "toots". If I wasn't bound to this pussy of a fox I'd beat the living piss out of you."

"Hey!" Phoenix whined in offense.

Wes eventually became impatient with the situation and silenced everyone by one loud, authoritative growl.

"Fuck it."

From behind a pile of ammunition crates, a tall figure stood up, revealing the black silhouette of either a canine or lupine. A silver handgun flashed in Wes' paw, and he momentarily let loose a clearly frustrated bellow of rage as he fired it. The two guards in Phoenix and Krystal's immediate vicinity dropped one after the other, but soon the whole camp was turned on its head, and other Venomians were alerted to their presence.

While Wes continued to fend off the initial first responders, his teammates rushed to Krystal and Phoenix's side. The female crouched beside Krystal, immediately setting upon her bonds with a knife.

"Dammit, Wes; blowing our cover like that! He was never one for stealth missions."

"I didn't think anyone else would be on the same mission we are," the arctic fox, Vince said, kneeling down by Phoenix and cutting through his bonds with what appeared to be a miniature-sized buzz-saw.

"That's because _you _didn't cover your data trail and ended up letting _everyone _know about the job!" Sheila shot back.

Finally free, Krystal sprang to her feet and rubbed her hand. "All right, all right! You two love birds can fight it out and kiss later!"

"Ugh," Vince grunted, visibly recoiling.

"Sorry Vince; I didn't mean it."

After the arctic fox cut through Phoenix's bonds, he jerked them away and tried to lift the younger vulpine to his feet. He grabbed Phoenix's broken paw, however, resulting in the tod crying out in pain.

"Don't man-handle my teammate!" Krystal warned, grabbing Phoenix below the shoulders and raising him up. "His hand's broken!"

Concerned, Vince frowned. "Hmmm... I'll have to take a look at that wound back at our—"

"Shit!" Wes swore, grabbing onto Vince and Sheila and dragging them away from the camp. "Well that didn't go too well. They're onto us!"

"Yeah, what did ya think would happen?" Sheila asked, breaking free from his grasp and running on her own.

Together, Krystal, Phoenix, and the three new anthropoi dove into the jungle, giving them a head start before the Neo-Androssian force followed after them.

* * *

** Elarix: *Looks around* Welp, I guess it's just me this time. ****In case nobody knows what's going on, Scott isn't faring too well right now. On top of a bunch of AP classes, he's afflicted with some sort of... _affliction, _and his free time is almost entirely gone. You can read about it some more on Sheppard Studios' profile, but for _The Hunting Party, _it means we won't be able to write as much together as we had hoped. For this chapter, he managed to write a scene and help edit the rest, but even then he was sacrificing a lot of his time. We'll see how he fares in the future, and I might hold off a bit on posting the next few chapters (though I might start working ahead). Of course, the ungodly length of this chapter is a tribute to his own writing style. Anyway, this marks the first occurrence of his three OCs, Sheila, Vince, and Wes, who will be joining the cast for the remainder of the arc. I warned you!**

**Also, anybody recognize Alvin and George? Thanks to Nail Strafer for letting me use his OCs as well. If you want to see more of them, check out his story _Love is Blind. _Definitely missing a few Neo-Androssians, but still a great read. After reading his latest chapter, I had Sheppard and myself throw them in at the last moment, but I'm glad we did.**

** Tarantula torture inspired by my older brother's pet tarantula; his friends would pin me down and he would put it on my head or back and let it crawl around a bit. It was funnier when he put it on his other friends instead. He also use to have pet scorpions, too. We bought them in NC, but apparently they're illegal where we live. I forget if we let them go in the wild like we did for the tarantula... **

** Ahem: And now, a little something extra. Sheppard hasn't even read this part yet; I took a load off of him so he can just enjoy reading it. It'll help if you all have seen _Black Lagoon_, _Kung Fury_, and _Fist of the North Star_. Otherwise, just assume all the humor is completely original. Now, pull up your favorite 80's rock music playlist and enjoy.**

* * *

*** Nazi Killing Bonus Round ***

*** Insert Coin to Play ***

*** Press START! ***

"Sir, the prisoners are escaping!" George shouted at the Commandant as he poked his head into the command tent.

"Hmm? What? _Escaping!?_"

Flinging the covers off and flying from his cot, Draisaitl rushed outside after the gorilla into the cool morning air. He paused outside the tent's entrance flaps, wearing nothing but a striped nightgown and a tasseled nightcap. At the sight of the loose bonds left behind by the prisoners, the Commandant angrily stamped his foot.

"You had _one_ job!" he growled angrily at his nearest officer. "Everyone, after them! Take all the troops you need; Hunt. Them. Down!"

"Y-yessir!" several of his officers stammered as they rushed over to their respective squads of troops. After a frenzy of activity, the entire Venomian force was armed and mobilized. Following the bellowed orders of their commanders, the soldiers began rushing to the edge of the camp, ready to dive into the thick undergrowth of the jungle. However, two new figures suddenly appeared in their way.

On the edge of the jungle, a lone pair of fox and panda proudly stood tall, legs spread and hands placed on their hips, clothing inexplicably whipping in a nonexistent breeze. The first rays of sunrise shot through the trees and leaves behind them, lighting up the early morning mists that rose and curled at their feet, painting them gold.

In seconds flat, the Neo-Androssian forces surrounded the two figures, confidently pointing their guns in the intruders' direction. Stepping forward, a primate sergeant ordered, "Hands in the air, now! Who are you?"

Neither of the pair showed any sign of heeding the officer's words, but the red-panda dressed in the karate gi said, "寿司わさび照り焼きジョン・シナアーノルド・シュワルツェネッガー、邪眼、悪い前兆、霊廟、休息。"

"What'd he say? What'd he say?" the officer demanded.

Suddenly drawing two massive machine guns, the black-clad vulpine translated, "He said yippie-ki-yay, motherfucker!" And with that, the beast of a mercenary unleashed a hailstorm of lead into the Androssian ranks. One by one, the lines of simians and reptiles began falling under the giant's onslaught.

***+1! +2! +3! +4! +5! Combo x2!***

The deadly barrage of Taylor's dual machine guns proved to be too much for the former Venomians. Officer and infantryman alike jumped behind stacks of supply boxes, tents, and military vehicles, but they only provided temporary cover; the pure force of the mercenary's weapons sent bullets tearing right through most every material in the camp. The bombardment forced the rebels behind cover, never once allowing them the chance to retaliate and fire back.

After their enemies scattered into the encampment, Kung Furry dove in after them. Using a variety of martial art attacks, he felled Venomian after Venomian.

*******+1! +2! Dropkick +5! Roundhouse +8! No miss x3!***

Eventually, the panda was confronted by a caiman officer savagely wielding an ornamental black and gold-hilted katana—though it appeared every bit as sharp as the day it was created. Opening his reptilian maw and roaring, the officer viciously swung the weapon at the kung fu master. He staggered back in surprise, however, as Kung Furry expertly deflected the blow by striking the flat of the blade away from his body.

Nimbly skipping back a few feet, the panda struck a fighter's stance and motioned with an outstretched hand for his opponent to attack again. The gesture only served to infuriate the caiman, as he lunged forward and unleashed a series of swipes and jabs one after the other. Kung Fury managed to negate each blow in quick succession by alternating the hands he deflected the blade with.

"Wax on—wax off! Wax on—wax off!" The panda continued chanting the mantra until he had deflected nearly a dozen blows. When the caiman finally faltered in his offense, Kung Furry side-stepped his thrust and brought his paws of steel forcefully chopping down on the officer's arm. The caiman yelped and dropped his katana, only to have Kung Furry immediately catch it. Bracing himself between the ground and the officer, he uttered a guttural scream and forced the silver blade through the caiman's stomach—and into the belly of a lizard corporal behind him.

*******Penetration kill x2!***

Taylor's storm of lead eventually gave out. The vulpine was never one for money; taking into account that his machine gun rounds cost five credits per bullet, fired at an average rate of 950 rpm, had been firing for ten minutes straight, and that there were two of them, Jax had succeeded in blowing through upwards of 114,000 credits.

Frowning at his idly spinning guns, Taylor flipped them around and held them by the barrels, launching himself into the camp. Taking the Venomians two at a time, Jax bashed head, skull, ribcage, and pelvis in without discrimination. The green grass and moss of the camp's floor was soon soaked with blood and covered by the bodies of writhing, mangled Venomians.

Eventually, the burly beast of a vulpine cornered two unfortunate primates between himself and a collapsed tent—two primates who were none other than George and Alvin. The hapless simians cowered in fear at the sight of the hulking fox, George clinging desperately to Alvin who pointed a shaking pistol defiantly at the vulpine.

Jax grinned beneath his dark sunglasses, shielding his torso with one gun and raising the other above his head to strike, but a voice sounded behind him, staying his hand.

"So you're still alive, dumb brute of a vulpine? I compliment you on your audaciousness!"

Taylor's muzzle curled at the sound of the voice, but he turned away from Alvin and George all the same, letting the two scramble away. Standing before him proudly was the Neo-Androssian Commandant, gripping a golden-crafted hand gun. "Scum! You have the unprecedented and undeserved honor of addressing the esteemed Commandant Janik Draisaitl! The leader of the First Legion of the Neo-Androssian Army! I was scrutinously selected from over 120 advanced officers to carry out this mission and retrieve an invaluable artifact for the furtherance of our glorious cause! Rest assured, I will not be foiled by the likes of unscrupulous mercenaries like _you_!

"Ever since my birth, I was destined to complete this sacrament! From the moment I left my mother's womb, it was ordained, predetermined, a matter of fate that I would arrive on this planet and have the honor of bringing Andross's masterpiece to the eyes of the world! When we conquer the Lylat System, ever household and establishment shall display a replica of this painting! And if our Supreme Leader were alive today, my life would be complete if I could just see him walk down the streets of Corneria's river district to see his masterpiece hung from every house and door, as it should be! Along with a bust of his head on every mantlepiece, a statue of his perfect form in every garden, a flag of the Neo-Androssian Front billowing from every door frame, and a portrait of the Great Emperor hanging on every wall! I'm... I'm... *sniff* I'm getting teary-eyed just at the thought of it."

Next, Draisaitl drew his firearm, proudly displaying it for Taylor to see. "Behold! Witness this awesome and terrible weapon I hold here! Complete with a 24-karat gold finish, it has an artillery length barrel custom fitted for .454 Casull rounds and a double-stack magazine! This special designed luger was gifted to me by Lord Andross himself when I returned victorious from conquering the resource planet Macbeth! I haven't washed it since! Lowly vermin like you are not fit to look upon it, much less be _shot _by it! I call it, "The _Zeitlose Reich, _but don't bother asking for a translation; you uncultured swine know nothing of the high dialect of the one true species! Aren't you afraid? Doesn't it make you tremble in fear? Now, witness the awesome power of the—"

_**BANG**_

The Commandant was cut off mid sentence as a spurt of blood sprayed from a ruby hole in his chest.

After he hit the ground with a thud, Taylor holstered his handgun and spat, "Shut the fuck up."

On the other side of the camp, Kung Furry had successfully decommissioned a total of thirty soldiers and officers without a hitch. As he stepped out from behind a tent, however, he came face to face with a massive panzer tank.

"_Ā, shimatta_!"

The jungle-camouflaged tank pivoted its gun barrel slowly around until it faced the unfortunate panda, at which point it fired. Kung Furry instinctively back-flipped away from where he was standing, and not a moment too soon; less than a second later, a fiery orange explosion rocked the campsite, a blast which would have scattered the panda into thousands of tiny panda pieces.

Furry barely had time to land and recover before the tank was bearing down on him, treads furiously spinning and kicking up clumps of dirt and plants. The martial artist turned his back on the tank and ran through the campsite, momentarily abandoning his strict code of honor. As the panzer careened wildly behind him—crushing anything and everything in its path—Kung Furry leapt across campfires, dove under tables, and ripped through the sides of canvas tents.

Eventually, the martial arts master broke free into the open area in the center of the camp. Spotting Jax Taylor standing idly by the command tent, he waved his arms desperately and shouted incomprehensible words in Japanese to warn him of the approaching vehicle. Just as Taylor was reaching nonchalantly for a pack of cigarettes, the tank bounced over an embankment and slammed into the midst of the clearing. Also noticing the tall, dark mercenary, the tank swiveled its turret and launched a shell at the vulpine.

Taylor didn't even flinch. The projectile landed in the command tent beside him, sending scraps of burning tarp and canvas into the air. Removing a cigarette, Jax coolly lit the other end on a flaming Neo-Androssian flag that rained down and landed next him.

Kung Furry slowed to a halt beside the towering mercenary, gasping for breath.

In a gruff voice, Taylor rebuked him. "What are you doing, sushi-lover? The tank is _that _way! Where's your honor?"

"_Hai, senpai! Demo—_"

"Don't you "senpai" me. Now, are you just a panda bear in a bathrobe, or are you a kung fu master!?"

Kung Furry suddenly straightened up and puffed out his chest. Slapping a fist against his breast, he shouted, "_Watashi wa kung fu masta-des!_"

Taylor let out a puff from his cigarette. "That's more like it. Now, show them what you're made of."

Stepping away from the tent, Kung Furry braced himself against the ground and struck a boxing stance. Once again finding its former target, the panzer tank's treads spun against the ground, propelling it forward. It barreled down the length of the clearing until it was upon the panda, nearly running him over. Yet all was not lost for the martial artist.

Instead of being flattened into a pancake, Kung Furry held his ground against the tank. When it was less than a meter away from him, he brought his fist forward, striking the vehicle in its front armor plate. Remarkably, the tank ground to a halt, treads cycling wildly without traction. Kung Furry flexed, causing his arm muscles to gradually burst through his sleeves and his pecks to explode through the front of his karate gi. His face contorted, and his jaw hung open as he slowly exhaled, growing louder and louder until he was bellowing from the top of his lungs. "AaaaaaaAAAAAAAAA!"

As his manly cry reached a crescendo, he began pumping his arms back and forth, sending punch after punch into the front of the tank. "AAAAAAATAAATAAATA!"

The deadly blows increased in pace, rapidly denting the tank's metal frame. When Furry's attacks became little more than a blur, bits of armor began flying off the front of the tank and scattering across the encampment.

"ATATATATATATATATATATATA_TAAAAAAA_!"

With one final uppercut, Kung Furry struck the base of the turret nest, sending it flying from the top of the armored vehicle. The gaping hole that remained crackled dangerously with electricity and sparks. Turning his back on the tank, Kung Furry began walking away. Behind him, the tank exploded in a grand fireworks display of orange flames and smoke, causing metal bits of armor and machinery to fly in every direction.

*******Achievement get: Anti-Panzer Panda! +50!***

With his muscled form merely a black silhouette against the burning wreckage, the kung fu master arrived at Taylor's side, panting heavily.

Without taking his eyes off the smoldering pile of scrap, Taylor said haltingly, "_Tank_... you."

For a few minutes, the two mercenaries stood staring out across the complete and utter destruction they had brought down on the camp. The entire site was engulfed in flames; mangled bodies of Venomians lay strewn haphazardly around, some of which were inexplicably draped across the tops of tents and trees; others crawled or hopped with whatever limbs they still had attached into the jungle; and in the center, the fiery remains of a large tank burned gloriously.

Above the flaming mess of the Neo-Androssian campsite, a set of glowing numbers and letters appeared.

***Final Score: **_**1,939**_**. Rank in!***

***1st: Jax Taylor + Kung Furry – **_**1,939**_*****

** *2nd: Black Mamba – **_**1,91**__**2**_*****

** *3rd: Wolf O'Donnell + Leon Powalski – **_**1,872**_*****

** *4th: Krystal + Scarlet Altruis – **_**1,818**_*****

***5th Revy + Dutch ****– 1,786***

** *6th: Rico and Kobe of Star Rabbit/Koala – **_**1,605**_*****

Turning to his partner, Jax stated, "Kung Furry: you are one kawaii motherfucker."

The martial artist grunted in response. Then, becoming suddenly animated again, he spoke up, "Now we go find trove of 80's action movies in base, yes?"

"Exactly: it's what we're here for."


	18. True Chainz Part 3: First Contact

**Chapter 18: True Chainz**

**Part 3: First Contact**

* * *

**Elarix's A/N: ****Probably would have worked on this earlier today and at least got it posted **_**before **_**11:00, but stuff kept coming up. First off, the morning I spent in church praying for forgiveness for writing that Christmas special with K.S., praying for Sheppard's dirty mouth, and praying for the forgiveness of all you readers for reading a story like this.**

**Yes, the rating has officially been upped to an 'M'. ****Never thought I'd have one of these stories on my hands, ****but after your read this chapter, you will see why it was inevitable****. ****A****s it's now rated M, anything and everything is officially fair game. ****And be aware; I don't give people trigger warnings. **_**The Hunting **__**P**__**arty **_**is **_**not **_**a safe space.**

**Otherwise, happy reading :)**

* * *

After they escaped from the camp, the two members of the Hunting Party and the trio of newcomers blazed through the jungle, hurriedly racing through the thick trees and undergrowth with abandon. They ran with such recklessness that they often stumbled and fell into streams, tripped over mangled roots, and cut their faces and exposed limbs on branches and sharp leaves. Yet, for whatever reason, the Neo-Androssians did not pursue the fleeing mercenaries, but that fact still didn't stop them from running like hell.

Finally, the group arrived at a small pond into which flowed a waterfall. Wes and Vince lead Krystal and Phoenix around the edge of the pool towards the thundering cascade while Sheila lagged behind, keeping a wary eye out for any pursuers that might have followed them. To Phoenix's surprise, Wes slipped between the waterfall and the rock wall behind it, disappearing from sight. Vince prodded Krystal and Phoenix on, and the two followed after the hulking mercenary.

The gap between the white cascading falls and the cliff face opened up into a cave—rather small and cramped at first, but one that bore deep into the stone wall. Once inside, the sound of the pounding waterfall became more muffled, and the early morning light rippled and danced over the surface of the wet rocks. Littered about the cave was a range of mercenary equipment including extra weapons, explosives, rations, and—most pertinently—a first aid kit.

Vince lead Phoenix to a pile of chair-sized rocks next to the kit, where he sat the vulpine down before rummaging through the case of medical supplies. Phoenix gingerly cradled his hand while he nervously watched the arctic fox work. Krystal climbed to the top of the rock pile where she seated herself as well, keeping a scrutinizing eye on the fox's movements from above.

"We'll have to set it," Vince explained, withdrawing a roll of adhesive cloth. As he started wrapping it around Phoenix's paw, he asked, "How long has it been since they broke it?"

"I think it was around noon yesterday, so... seventeen hours, maybe?"

"And they just tied you up afterwards?" Vince tsked, sympathetically. Once he finished wrapping up Phoenix's paw, he applied several strips of medical tape to the bandages and placed a cold pack in his hand.

"There you go. Try not to move your fingers too much, and use your hand as little as possible. With any luck, it'll heal in four weeks."

"Nice going, Phi," Krystal laughed from above. "What use are you going to be to us with a bum hand?"

Ignoring the vixen as usual, Phoenix instead replied to Vince, "Thanks for fixing me up, even though I don't know you... and I think we're technically on opposing teams."

"Oh, no problem, kiddo. With so many idiots shooting guns at each other out here—" He shot a glare in Wes' direction, who was just entering the cave. "—someone's got to be around to patch them back up."

The intimidating hybrid sheathed his handgun in its holster, then fumed in a gruff voice, "Damn it, that was close! We nearly got caught out there! We risked burning our tails, and for what? A wimpy-ass kid and motherf—king Krystal. Wait, what the f-ck? What the hell is this?"

He paused in the entrance to the cave, confusedly looking up at the ceiling as if he was searching for an answer. "What's going on here? I can't even hear myself swear! Who would be sh-tty enough to—damn, there it goes again! What the actual f—king f-ck!?"

"Wes, calm down," Vince urged.

"No, this ends here!" Wes shouted. "I've had it with these motherf—king censors in this motherf—king story! Listen up, c-nt! You just brought piss to a sh-t fight, you little c-ck! You uncensor this f—king story or I'll slit your f—king throat! You hear me?! I'll kill your mother! I'll rape your father! I'll curb-stomp that face so hard that you'll have to sit on your food to eat it, you little sh-t! I ain't about to let some f-ggot bleep the sh-t out of me just so the story can keep its precious T rating! WHOEVER'S THE F-CKING CENSOR GUY CAN SUCK MY F-CKING D-CK! AND I'M NOT GONNA STOP SHOUTING MY F-CKING HEAD OFF UNTIL THAT C-CK-SUCKER TAKES HIS P-SSY-ASS CENSORSHIP OUT OF THIS SH-T STORY! F-C-ING FU-KITTY S-IT N-G-R F-C-ER, FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!"

Wes finally concluded his tirade of obscenities, gasping for breath. Straightening up, he regained his composure and said, "There. Is everyone satisfied? Will you all stop complaining? You do know what I have to do now, right? I've got to go back over the entirety of this story and uncensor all the bad words. Aaaaaall of them! And I've got to go through the trouble of exporting every single chapter, one by one, to the doc manager, and then I have to go through replacing the little dashes in the words with the actual letters; I've gotta control-plus-f those little motherfuckers and uncensor every single one, and that's like 17 chapters worth at this point. Then I have to replace all the old versions with the new ones. And after I do that, this joke I'm so proud of won't even make any sense to new readers because they'll just see a bunch of censored words in Wes' tirade of foul language and just kind of scratch their heads; they'll never know the pain of reading a story with this amount of swearing and having it all censored for them, and they won't even get the joke! I'll have to add an author's note explaining it to them, which sucks… and now it's rated M! Congratulations: you made me do it. The rating I was trying so hard to avoid, but you people were all like, "nooo! Censoring is stupid and you do it inconsistently and all the little dashes hurt my eyes". So here it is; your M-rated, uncensored director's cut platinum special edition. Now new readers or people who follow it from the shadows won't even see it pop up on the recently updated page because it's rated M and is hidden behind Fanfiction-dot_-_net's rating filter, because they only show K through T on default which doesn't even make any sense, because most of Fanfiction's users are all middle-aged women reading Twilight and Fifty-Shades of Gray erotic fics, or stupid YA stories that are below their age bracket, so it doesn't really make sense why they would bother burying it under a filter that you can easily change, but one that becomes super annoying when you have to change it time and time again. Plus, now that it's an M-rater, everything's fair game. Next chapter's going to be one long threesome, and I'll go ahead and tell you its name right now; it's just called "Threesome", and there's no guessing what might happen after that, now that we've blown the lid off the jar."

"Are you quite through?" Phoenix mumbled, irritated at the insufferable tangent. "I think you just made a few kids cry with your tirade."

"Kids, I hate kids," Wes added after hearing the vulpine speak. Completely changing the topic, the hybrid gruffly asked, "Remind me why we risked our necks to save Krystal and this squirt? This was your bright idea, wasn't it, Vince?"

Vince turned his back on Wes and pretended to be occupied with the first aid kit. "Er, no, it was more of Sheila's idea. She's friends with Krystal, after all."

"Spitz..." Wes growled under his breath, annoyed with himself. "Where is she, anyway? Did we lose her on the run over here?"

"I'm right here, Wes," a muffled feminine voice came from the other side of the waterfall.

Phoenix turned his attention to the mouth of the cave just in time to see the third team member make her entrance. The white and brown-furred husky strutted into the cave, taking off her pilot's helmet as she did so. After she removed the helmet, she shook out her hair, unleashing a tidal wave of curly, cinnamon locks in the process. While she let her hair fall freely down her back, time seemed to slow down completely. The sun finally broke over the treetops, giving the woman's hair the illusion of being on fire. In slow motion, the waterfall of auburn hair spilled over her slender shoulders and down her back past her waist, revealing its full, luxuriant length.

Phoenix's jaw dropped just as slowly; he felt as if he were watching a shampoo commercial with the inevitable supermodel throwing her luscious locks around. Once he started drooling on the cave floor, Krystal took the prerogative and kicked him in the back of the head.

"All right, Lionheart; that's enough. Eyes on my boobs, please."

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your new friend?" Sheila asked, giggling.

From her vantage point on top the rocks, Krystal sighed. "Phoenix, meet Sheila Spitz. Sheila; Phoenix. I still don't know his last name, and I don't think I want to, if his first name is any indication."

Seating herself beside the vulpine, Sheila asked, "So, Phoenix, how long have you been with the Hunting Party? I don't remember you from the last time Krys and I worked together."

"A-about a year, I'd say," Phoenix stuttered, his eyes magnetically attracted to—of all things—the canine's voluminous hair. "Which, come to think of it, is about as long as it's been since I started writing this story."

"What's your function in the team?" Sheila asked, expressing genuine interest as she began kicking her legs back and forth. "Gunman? Strategist? Mechanic? Sharpshooter? Explosives specialist?"

"Um, well, I whine a lot..." Phoenix trailed off, ashamed of having to admit it.

"Oh come on!" Sheila exclaimed in her bubbly voice, smiling warmly at him. "You have to do something—or Krystal would have never let you on the team!"

"He's our negotiator, actually," Krystal spoke up after Phoenix hesitated. "He's gotten us out of some pretty tight situations with quick thinking and a bit of humane tact. He had me hold him hostage when we first met, which actually saved his fellow students, and myself from the police. He managed to shut up this whiny little brat a while back, and he even talked our way out of an Androssian firing squad recently."

"I did?" Phoenix asked, confused. "Oh... I guess I did!"

"But besides that, he's pretty useless," Krystal concluded. "I can barely convince him to get in a cockpit or hold a gun..."

"Pacifists are hard to come by out here," Vince said, smiling at Phoenix. "I admire your resolve."

"So, how do you three know Krystal?" Phoenix asked, shifting the conversation to the other party with the expertise of an introvert.

"We started out as Cornerian militants, actually," Wes explained. "I was a major in the CDF, Spitz was part of Husky Squadron, and Stazac here did something with computers, I think."

"Head Researcher, Scientist, _and_ Engineer," Vince corrected, becoming slightly flustered.

"Whoops, don't fuckin' care," Wes interrupted, chuckling at the admittedly goofy glare the arctic fox gave him. "Anyway, we gradually got fed up with Corneria over time. Each of us were in different branches of the army, but each of us had our own reasons for leaving. I was up to my ears in irrational bullshit from Corneria's top brass, and I got tired of regularly dealing with the ones causing all this trouble. I try to oppose them, and they brand me a traitor. Fuck that type of life. It was obvious change wouldn't come from the inside, so I left."

"I guess you could call me a deserter," Sheila explained, adding her piece of the story. "But I still think it was the moral thing to do. Husky Squadron was sent to Aquas for "reconstruction" purposes. Really, it was just a thinly-veiled occupation tactic, and you can bet the Aquans weren't pleased. I couldn't abide by orders like that, so I left the army. And Vince here..."

Vince looked up. "Oh. As lead researcher, they were going to have me decipher and continue Andross's work. So... yeah, you can see why I left. I wanted nothing to do with that madman's experiments."

"We all knew each other, so we decided to escape together," the husky concluded. "Vince here got himself detained after expressing dissent, so Wes and I banded together to break him out. After that, we formed a small merc unit, and ended up meeting the Hunting Party out here in the lawless System."

"Thanks for the much needed backstory, Sheila," Krystal jabbed at her, "But you you left out one important detail; what you're doing_ here_, on Fortuna of all places."

Sheila huffed indignantly, but ended up coming off more adorable than anything else. "We could ask you the same question!"

Krystal closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead, as if experiencing a migraine. "Please, She, we've already been through this once before with Scarlet. Now stop getting all defensive and—"

"Wait, Scarlet's here too? Scarlet _Altruis?_ Is_ everyone_ in the entire archive on this planet now?"

"I'm beginning to think that myself," Krystal agreed. "Now, out with it; tell us why you're here, and we'll tell you what we're doing. You trust me, right?"

"Not as far as I could throw you," Wes grumbled, glaring at the vixen.

"Wes, that's actually pretty far," Vince reminded the hybrid, meriting a low snarl from the canine-lupine which instantly silenced him.

"Fine, we'll come clean if you do," Sheila said. "We—well, Vince—found evidence of a research base Andross left behind on Fortuna, so we decided to check it out. Vince was browsing through the Cornerian's archives for fun—it's one of his favorite pastimes—and he came across a data file on the base and Andross's research."

"I thought you wanted nothing to do with Andross's experiments?" Phoenix reminded the arctic fox.

The scientist scratched the back of his head. "Oh, it was nothing morally questionable. The Cornerians think Andross used this research base for long-range communications experiments, and get this; he may have made contact with an alien race."

Krystal scoffed at them. "Really?_ That's_ why you're here? For sciency shit?"

"It would be the discovery of the century," Vince shot back. "We would make history this way! Imagine, us being the ones to make first contact with a race outside the Lylat System!"

"I was thinking more along the lines of cold hard cash," Krystal said as she leaned forward, opening and closing her fingers. "You know, something that you can feel with your hands and trade for stuff like... I don't know... more weapons!"

Before the two could go on arguing, Phoenix broke in. "But don't you all see something's terribly wrong here?"

All eyes turned to him, with Krystal still groping at something in the air no one else could see.

"Just think about it," the vulpine went on after nobody stopped him. "Several groups of mercenaries show up at the same secret location, around the same exact time, on the least inhabited planet of the Lylat System—besides Venom, that is—and we all have different motivations. We're here because Meinhard said he got word from a Venomian contact that there were spoils of war in this base; Krystal likes money and stuff she can sell for more money. Scarlet was told by her contractor that a dangerous supply of nuclear weapons was stashed away in the base. The Neo-Androssians were looking for some sort of painting that's important to them. And now you guys show up looking for research on an alien civilization? And-and didn't you mention Jax Taylor and Kung Furry were here?"

"Don't worry, we ditched those nuts back at the Androssian camp," Wes assured him.

"But what in the world could they be looking for? Probably something that appeals to their hobbies, correct? My point is, we can't just rush into this. Too much of this appears to be coincidence; so many different mercenary groups are out in the middle of nowhere looking for a lost Venomian base for so many different reasons."

"Still, we need to get to the bottom of this," Krystal stated. "We have to find what's actually inside that base. If so many groups are after it, it must be extremely important."

"How about we team up?" Sheila suggested. "I've wanted to work with you again for the longest time, and this might be our best bet."

Krystal grinned. "I thought you'd never ask. I'm all for a temporary truce; we may have conflicting objectives, and may very well be enemies, but for the moment I think it would benefit us the most if we all teamed up and figured out what the hell is going on. Plus, there's no telling who we might run into out there in the jungle."

"You can say that again," Sheila agreed. "We might come across anyone from my ex husband to the entire Cornerian army—and I don't think our teams are equipped to handle either of them on our own. We have better chances banding together."

"That's great and all," Phoenix said, "But how do you intend on finding the base? Do you know it's location? We were given a device that—"

"A device that monitors the background radio waves from the base?" Vince interjected.

"Well, yeah, but how did you know—"

The scientist held up a contraption that looked like it had been cobbled together from a scrap heap. "I invented it. We've been following the signals ever since."

"What haven't you invented?" Krystal interrupted with a hint of sarcasm.

"_We_ were given one by our contractor," Phoenix explained, eying the device, "But, when we ran into the Venomians, we split up and gave the tracker to Falco and Scarlet. They're still out there in the jungle right now, probably looking for us."

Krystal shook her head. "Nah, they're most likely headed for the base, whether or not Falco wants to. In all likelihood, Scarlet's seduced Falco and stolen the tracker to leave on her own. Our best bet is to just follow Vince's tracker and hope we meet up with them along the way."

Sheila jumped up from her seat, heading for her team's supplies. "Then we better get started right away; we don't want them reaching the base without us. Vince, Wes; pack up your equipment. And if you two want to help, be my guest. Just don't pocket anything while you're at it."

Folding her arms behind her head and reclining against the cave wall, Krystal said, "You heard the woman, Phoenix; get to work."

"But I have a broken hand!"

"Quit whining."

* * *

As the early morning hours gradually became nothing more than a distant memory now that the multifariously-colored sky mellowed out into a dull pale blue, the team of five—tired and exhausted from lack of sleep, hunger, and physical exertion—trudged through the jungle, which was already starting to heat up with the rising of the sun. Sheila and Krystal led the way, with the copper husky holding the radio tracker. Following closely was Wes—his massive handgun holstered at his hip and shining in the sun. Bringing up the rear, as usual, were Phoenix and Vince, who had already started a conversation as soon as they left the cave, and had continued talking for what felt like hours.

"So, you're the guy that invented the Arwings?" Phoenix asked, visibly amazed and interested.

"Well, _perfected_, more like," Vince chuckled sheepishly. "I basically created the more efficient fueling systems and increased the aerodynamicy of the craft, but other than that I was just another mindless engineer creating the framework for it."

"Man, I wish I could do all of that stuff," Phoenix mumbled. "I was thinking about switching my major in college to that technical side before… this happened."

"Don't sweat it, kiddo," the arctic fox smiled, the contagiousness of his goofy grin causing Phoenix to smile as well. "I switched my major when I was in your position, too. Believe it or not, I initially went to college for animation. At first it was fun, but then I realized I couldn't draw to save my life. But I did like the programming aspect of it, so I went into coding, and eventually worked into engineering."

"I can never understand code," Phoenix admitted, flattening his ears. "But I think I understand code more that I understood what I decided to get into."

"And what's that?"

"I… uh…" Phoenix hesitated, glancing farther up the group to see Krystal preoccupied with talking to Sheila. Assured that she wouldn't hear, he lowered his voice and said, "I was in gender studies."

Vince stifled a laugh, much to Phoenix's embarrassment. However, he did recover enough to reply in the most reassuring voice he could muster, "Hey, Phoenix, it's okay. We've all made mistakes before."

"Yeah, but it was really awkward," Phoenix explained, pocketing his paws. "It was only me and eight others studying in that same class. Most of them were girls, and the only other guys in the class were… _weird_, to say the least."

"Well, gender studies isn't really for everyone," Vince responded. "There's a lot of in-depth study and research into that. Granted, I do a lot of the same in the engineering department, but I never was a good biologist, or good with psychology or whatever the hell you need for it."

Phoenix sighed and nodded his head. "Neither was I, so I thought getting into that would be a good way to help. Honestly, I'm not that much of a social person. I never had many friends, and I just… felt awkward socializing with others. I had, like, three or four friends at my old university, but other than that I never felt comfortable around others."

Vince chuckled to himself softly. "Sounds a lot like me. I hated being social. Seemed like a waste of time to me. But, once you get into the swing of things, as in getting into a group and getting to know them, it really helps you out of that shell."

Phoenix nodded again. "I've noticed that ever since Krystal… "_recruited_" me, I've slowly started to get over that social anxiety. If I'd have met you over a year ago, Vince, I probably wouldn't be talking right now."

Vince smiled and patted the golden vulpine's shoulder. "That's good. Judging by the looks of you, you've come a long way from a gender studies student."

"_Gender studies?!_" Krystal shouted from the front of the group, accompanied with a howl of laughter. "Wow, you're such a mangina, Phoenix!"**(*********)**

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Phoenix mumbled, turning red under his fur.

"Hey, leave him be," Vince shot back. "You should be thankful that Phoenix is still following your hopeless cause around the Lylat."

"Thankful I'm not dead yet," Krystal countered.

Vince shook his head and gave a nudge to the vulpine alongside him, lowering his voice. "She's been like this ever since the whole… _incident_. She used to be like Sheila; all bubbly, happy, and really friendly. I think Fox was a huge contributor to that."

"You know about him?" Phoenix asked.

"I was good friends with his father back in the day," Vince explained, running a paw through his sweat-permeated hair. "Fox was a good kid. You remind me of him, Phoenix."

"That's what everyone says," the golden vulpine mumbled, letting his ears sag. "But I'm not like him. I'm not an ace pilot. I don't have the charisma or the courage he had. I can't even fire a gun without a flare of anxiety and nausea."

"But you know what?" Vince interjected softly, setting a paw on his shoulder. "Fox was the same way until he found something worth fighting for. Believe me—as soon as you find that inspiration, you'll take it and make a name for yourself. That's what Fox did, and if he could do it, then so can you."

Phoenix finally let a genuine smile surface. "Thanks, Vince. That really means a lot to me."

"Don't mention it, kiddo," Vince smiled back, his eyes meeting Phoenix's in a sort of distant kinship of mentalities that seemed to reflect each other better than any mirror could. It had been way too long since he had felt this strong of a sense of belonging—like he actually had a purpose other than just carrying around weight. It hit him like a metaphorical sack of bricks; that realization of belonging. Maybe Vince was right about finding something to fight for. As if it were a natural instinct, his eyes unconsciously drifted up towards the front of the group to where—

"Aw, just shut up and kiss already!" Krystal yipped, popping up behind the two other vulpines as she threw both of her arms around each of their necks.

"Whoa, wait, what?" Phoenix stammered, backing away from the azure vixen so fast that he almost fell into a pile of fungi off of the improvised trail.

"It's pretty obvious you two are hot for each other," Krystal giggled teasingly, roughly running her fingers through Vince's hair. "Especially you, Vince. Jeez, if I didn't break this up you two would be finding a nice place away from—"

"Dammit," Vince whimpered, tucking away from the vixen's grasp. "Why does everyone think I'm gay? I'm not!"

"Sheppard sure thinks differently about it," she remarked.

"Fuck Sheppard," Vince snapped.

"You'd like to fuck Sheppard, wouldn't you?" sneered Krystal tauntingly, causing Vince to start stammering and sputtering even more.

"No, I—"

"Hey, would you like to masturbate to the chapter of _Veria_ he just updated a month ago?"

Stuttering uncontrollably, Vince managed to say, "No, I… I'm not—"

**Elarix's A/N: I uh, ****think**** it****'s**** necessary to clarify that I had nothing to do with this past section. Also, Shep, which chapter of Veria? I don't remember any gay ****sex**** scenes in...**

"Hey, fellas!" Wes growled through clenched teeth, silencing all three of the bickering vulpines. "Shut the fuck up and look over here."

Perplexed, Krystal and the two male foxes slowly approached the hill Wes and Sheila were lying prone behind. Krystal lowered herself all the way down to her stomach when she got to their position and slowly peered her eyes over their improvised cover. In the clearing just a few hundred feet below them resided two large, ancient towers overgrown with moss, vines, and other vegetation that somewhat obscured the intriguing pillars of stone. Exactly identical to each other, the twin stone pillars overlooked what seemed to be a section of ancient ruins that was built into the nearby cliff side.

Nudging the husky, Krystal asked, "Is that the base?"

With a quick hiss, Sheila clamped her paw over her muzzle and prevented her from speaking out again. She then nodded her head in the direction of the pillars, pointing out a large team of what looked to be civilians that had attempted to put together their own militia. Aside from their automatic rifles, they looked like ordinary people—specifically those who resided in hot, dry, barren deserts. Pale sheets and robes adorned each "soldier"—mostly comprised of desert dwelling creatures; a few reptiles, some canines, an avian or two, and a lot of rodents.

"Damn terrorists," Wes growled. "What in the almighty deity's name are _they _doing here?"

"Looks to me like they're just… admiring the scenery?" Vince said curiously, watching as a group of three posed around one of the towers with two of them making obscene gestures at a camera the third one held outward towards them.

"Hey, I think I remember those guys," Phoenix spoke up, drawing the attention of the other four. "They're rebels from Titania, right? I recognize them from Sargasso."

"They're definitely Titanian rebels," Krystal agreed. "But what are_ they_ doing here?"

"You think they might be looking for oil?" Phoenix ventured.

"Wow, way to be racist, Lionheart," Krystal chirped.

"Wait, how was that racist?"

"You think since they're from Titania, they must be looking for oil, is that it? If they heard that, they would be so offended, you know?"

"Look, I'm just making a quick guess based on where they're from!"

"Oh my god! Do you know how many microaggressions you just committed, Phoenix?" Krystal chided him. "From their black facial scarves, tanned hides, and their species, you immediately assume they're from another planet and simply want oil? Do you know how many of their relatives probably died after Corneria brought some freedom to their planet?"

"Why should I be sorry for them at all?" Phoenix countered, visually getting riled. "They're terrorists! They're radical Titanian jihadists!"

Krystal's eyes widened and she covered her muzzle with a paw. "Did I seriously just hear you say that? So you're going to make the blanket statement that _all _species with fur and skin more tanned than yours are terrorists? That is racist and offensive, Phoenix. Haven't you studied intersectional-feminism? You're the gender studies major, here."

At this point, Krystal was struggling to keep a straight face; Phoenix was completely oblivious to how she was messing with him.

"I'm not saying it's their species!" Phoenix explained, hurriedly trying to defend himself. "It's just their religion, isn't it? Corneria's the Great Satan, right? Their ancient texts _literally _say, "death to all non-believers!" It's not my fault most of their religion's tenets are all the same species—"

"Guys, guys, stop," Sheila interjected, pointing at the sky above the towers. "Look. Is that…?"

All five of them glanced upward to see a glint of sunlight poke out of the sky as if a ray of light caught something metallic high above their heads. Moments later, a small fighter shot out of the sky, racing towards the pillars so quickly that it distorted the sky around it. The team of five were reduced to watching in horror as the fighter slammed into the leftmost pillar, detonating in a massive fireball and causing the ancient monolith to crumble to the ground.

Phoenix's jaw dropped open. "No way..."

A few moments later, a second fighter came screaming out of the sky and flew directly into the second pillar, dooming that one just the same as the first. Amidst the blazing fire and debris, the Titanian rebels howled and cheered in celebration now that the two stone towers were nothing more than charred pebbles scattered all over the clearing.

"Did you see that?" Sheila yipped, almost inaudible due to the volume of the roar of cheers below them.

"Bat-shit insane motherfuckers," Wes growled.

Krystal narrowed her eyes and pointed. "Look, that one's taking a selfie."

"Did they intentionally just destroy those towers?" the husky asked, starting to get a bit emotional. "It must've taken the natives years to build those—and they're probably thousands of years old! How could they be so cruel and just destroy them like that? And they even used their own men to do it!"

"Wait, ordinary bombs would be able to cause just as much destruction," Phoenix remarked. "If they wanted those towers to fall, they could've just used a regular bomb instead of flying fighters into them."

"And did you see the puffs of smoke coming out of the sides?" Krystal added. "They probably did use bombs, and set them up beforehand on the inside."

"Plus, there weren't even any natives in the towers! They were empty. They at least should have waited until a full moon or something when they got a ceremony going and actually used the towers.

Sheila shot Krystal a quizzical look. "W-what do you mean?"

"It means, Sheila..." Slowly, the vixen turned her head towards the husky. "Satellite fuel can't melt steel beams."

Wes growled and picked himself up to his knees, trying to keep his burly frame underneath the cover of the hill. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting tired of these fuckers. Who wants to fuck these terrorists up?"

"I'm game," Krystal said happily.

Phoenix awkwardly piped up, "Wes, I don't think that's a—"

"Wrong answer."

Krystal jumped to her feet, snagged a few fragmentation grenades from Wes' vest, and hopped over the hill, catching the attention of all of the Titanian rebels with one loud battle cry.

"Allahu!... uh... Akbar!"

At that, the vixen pulled the pins on a handful of the grenades and hurled them at the rebels, watching as the explosives detonated after bouncing on the ground a few times. The rebels didn't even have time to react before the rest of the team followed Krystal into the heart of the battle.

Sheila unholstered a handgun from her back and tossed it at Vince. "Come on, buddy; join the fun!" she shouted giddily, running after Krystal with her own rifle primed and ready. Vince fumbled with the handgun at first, but as soon as he had full control of it he tossed it to Phoenix, who fumbled with it as well.

"Hey, I don't want it!" Phoenix yelped, throwing it back at Vince.

"At least you know how to fire a gun!" Vince countered, trying to push the handgun back at him.

"I've fired a gun maybe twice in my life," Phoenix quipped, pushing the handgun back at Vince.

"I've never fired one at all!" Vince retorted, forcefully balling Phoenix's paw around the handle with more strength that he ever expected out of him. "Just take the damn thing."

"Fine, but I'm not firing it unless it's—"

Phoenix nearly stumbled as Wes plowed by him with a large shoulder mounted launcher. He took a knee at the top of the hill, aimed it at a group of Titanian rebels, and let a smug smirk crease his muzzle.

**(insert cheesy one liner here; I got nothing) – Sheppard, ****December 27th, 2015, ****being the slacker he is**

The rocket shot out of the launcher at break-neck speed, exploding directly in the middle of the rebels and scattering them like ragdolls. Wes let a cackling, maniacal laugh slip through his lips as he cast the spent launcher aside, then pulled out his handgun and followed the two girls into the camp.

In the center of the encamp, Sheila and Krystal stood back-to-back, discharging their weapons of choice at the rebels who feebly tried to fight back. The girls giggled and laughed like two best friends as they spun and maneuvered around each other like a choreographed dance. Krystal's dual handguns jumped in her paws, and Sheila's rifle recoiled against her shoulder, but other than that they were perfectly coordinated from years of practice."

Talking over her shoulder, Sheila commented, "Just like old times, eh, Krystal?"

"Oh yeah," Krystal answered back, placing several bullets in an unprepared squad of Titanians. "We've worked together like this for ages! Since chapter one! Yessiree—that's the Hunting Party! Me, Falco, Slippy, Phoenix, and how could I forget Sheila Spitz, Wes, and good ol' Vince? This ain't some "Cousin Oliver" trope, folks! Or-or-or is it the "Remember the New Guy" trope? Doesn't matter, really; we've always been best friends since I can remember!"

While Wes cleaned up the trash around the perimeter of the camp that Sheila and Krystal pushed out, Vince and Phoenix stood behind the cover of a few thick trees and watched the chaos and carnage unfold.

Eventually, Phoenix broke their shared silence. "Well, this is awkward…"

"Tell me about it," Vince mumbled back, pulling a small device out of his pocket. "Hey, you wanna see something?"

Phoenix tossed him a quizzical look. "What?"

"Call it a hunch, but you seem like that kind of guy that likes rock music."

Phoenix's eyes went wide. "How'd you know?"

"Like I said, a hunch," Vince chuckled back, handing the device off to him. "I saw a concert a few weeks back, and I recorded… pretty much the entirety of it. I just felt like showing you a few songs, since you're pretty much the only one I know that likes this kind of stuff."

"What? Wes doesn't like it? I could've sworn that he was the kind of person that does."

Vince shook his head. "Believe it or not, but he's an indie kind of guy. Sheila is into some weird music too—like electro swing. You ever heard of Caravan Palace?"

"Doesn't ring a bell. But I think Wolf O'Donnell listens to the stuff. Maybe Sheila got it from Wolf, since they use to be together?"

"Other way around, more like. It's weird, yet surprisingly catchy stuff. Reminds me of music they'd play back in the day when they didn't have all of those audio mixers and techno-remix garbage, but _with _those audio mixers added in. Sounds interesting, and believe me, it is."

"Huh," Phoenix grinned. "Never would've guessed."

"It's _okay_," Vince added. "This stuff is a lot better, though."

"Wait, is this that awful Rise garbage Sheppard listens to?" Phoenix scoffed, pushing the device back at Vince. "I guess I can tolerate that kind of stuff, but that's not the kind of music I like. I'm into more headbangy-kinda stuff like metalcore."

"Really?" Vince asked. "I thought you'd've like the more melodic style."

"I do; the choruses are usually more melodic."

Just then, Krystal let out a loud howl as the gunfire abruptly ceased. As soon as the air became still and quiet, the vixen shouted, "Fuck yeah! Take that you jihadist-fucking-sand-blooded-towel-headed-motherfuckers! Why don't you take a bullet in your fucking vaginas you rebel lesbians!"

"Oh boy, Krys is _really_ enjoying the lack of censorship," Vince remarked under his breath.

"I swear it's all Sheppard. But it's still gonna get on my nerves really fast," Phoenix agreed.

"She's gonna end up getting all of us in trouble."

"If I had a drink on me and wasn't underage, I'd toast to that."

A shadow fell over the two vulpines, who looked up in unison and grinned sheepishly. The hulking figure of Wes towered over them, blood and other organic matter splattered across his chest.

"The least you two could do is help look for survivors. We need to question them, find out for sure what they're doing here."

Not wanting to anger the hybrid, Phoenix and Vince scrambled to their feet. They split up, joining Krystal and Sheila as they searched the encampment for any survivors.

After a few minutes of coming up empty, they met back up at the center of the camp.

Krystal let out a short laugh and a sigh. "Huh. Well, guess we didn't leave any of them alive, did we?"

"You were supposed to save some for questioning, remember?" Sheila prodded Krystal.

"It's not my fault they're weak and bleed easily."

Gazing in horror at the utter blood-bath around them, Phoenix exclaimed, "Then what the hell was the point of this diversion!? You guys murdered a whole army of Titanians, and for what? Information? Now you don't even have that!"

Wes clamped an iron paw on Phoenix's shoulder. "They're terrorists. They deserve death. End of story."

"Yeah, but... but this fight wasn't even fair!"

"Ha. And they have the gall to call themselves terrorists." Krystal dealt the head of one of the rebels a swift kick. She grimaced, noting the spray of blood covering her foot, and attempted to wipe it off on Phoenix's leg. "Well, I think we're done here. Come on; I can't stand looking at these pathetic excuses for rebels any longer. Their incompetence sickens me."

"Ugh, you said it." As Krystal turned to continue marching through the jungle, Sheila wrinkled her nose and skipped after her, taking care not to step in any pools of blood.

"Come on, Phoenix," Vince said as he took the vulpine's arm, pulling him along. "I've tried getting to these blood-thirsty mercenaries, but there's no changing them."

Still speechless from the field of gore that surrounded them, Phoenix let his fellow vulpine drag him along after the rest of the group, once again entering the thick undergrowth.

* * *

An hour later found Krystal, Phoenix, Sheila, Wes, and Vince out in the middle of a small forest clearing between two cliffs, the sun high above their heads, continuing to bake their fur even more.

_"__Wait! D__on't shoot!"_

"What was that!?"

Krystal immediately responded by drawing both of her pistols for the umpteenth time that day. Eyes narrowing to that of a killer's, she scoured the surrounding rocky slopes that lead out of the valley. In their present position, they were more vulnerable to an attack than ever.

_"No, don't shoot!"_ the voice repeated.

"All right, who said that!?" Krystal demanded, her voice echoing from between the cliffs.

The blue head of a bird timidly poked out of the shrubbery atop one of the hillsides, wings raised above his head. "Krystal, it's me: Falco!"

Behind the vixen's back, Phoenix whispered to Vince, "Krystal nearly killed Scarlet when we first ran into her; that's why Falco's being so cautious."

Vince nodded his head in understanding, yet couldn't help rolling his eyes at Krystal's attachment to her weapons.

Letting out a deep sigh, Krystal sheathed her pistols. Balling her fists and placing them on her hips, she leaned backwards to get a better view of the clifftop. "That you, Lombardi? Why do you come to us waving a white flag? We're on the same team, you know."

Falco slowly lowered his hands. "Does that really make a difference?"

Krystal growled at him. "Come on! Get down here already, Falco. The sun's in my eyes and it hurts to look at you. Check that, it_ always_ hurts to look at you!"

The cliffs leading into the valley weren't overly steep, and Falco had no reservations against climbing down. Once Scarlet was sure Krystal was amiable, she too stepped out of the forest line and began climbing down after Falco, though with much more grace.

A meter from the bottom of the valley, Falco pushed himself off the wall and landed with a huff, bending his knees to absorb the fall. Stepping towards Krystal, he said, "We thought you two had gotten killed! Why didn't you answer our calls?"

Jumping off and landing beside Falco, Scarlet smugly commented, "I'm sure Krystal and Phoenix were_ much_ too busy to bother answering us, sweety. After all, the jungle is a very steamy climate, and with an outfit like that—"

"We've been over this, Scarlet," Krystal growled at her fellow vixen. "Plus, I have a hard time doubting_ you_ two weren't going at it the entire time we were separated."

Falco blushed beneath his feathers and turned his face away to hide it, but Scarlet pressed on, unashamed. "So, what were you two up to?"

"We got caught," Phoenix spoke up when Krystal turned the cold shoulder to the crimson fox. "The Venomians captured us, and we spent the majority of yesterday marching around this god-forsaken jungle. They uh... they tortured us a bit, too. That's how I got this," he displayed his bandaged hand to Scarlet, who frowned in response.

"Oh, I noticed that. I just assumed Krystal was the cause."

"She sure wasn't helping," Phoenix mumbled, lowering his head.

"Then how did you meet up with... _these_ characters?" Scarlet asked, indicating the three behind Krystal and Phoenix.

Sheila poked her head over Krystal's shoulder, sheepishly grinning and waving at Scarlet. Noticing the canine out of the corner of her eye, Krystal sidestepped to block her from view. "Oh, these guys showed up and... they sorta... rescued us, from the Neo-Androssians. We've teamed up, for the time being. No one to worry about, really."

From behind Krystal, Sheila cleared her throat and whispered, "Krys, introduce us already!"

Phoenix stepped closer to Krystal and said, "I don't know about this. It seems like a bad idea. Is stuff like this allowed to happen?"

"Stuff like what?" Krystal whispered back, consulting her counterpart.

"Like... like these characters meeting. Won't something awful happen? Like a rift in spacetime? Something to do with quantum mechanics?"

"That's just theoretical bullshit," Krystal harshly whispered back. "I'm just ticked at having to introduce them to Scarlet." Finally, Krystal took a step back and allowed Scarlet a clear view of their new allies. "Scarlet, it's high time you met Sheila Spitz, Wes Jaeger, and Vince Stazac. Former Cornerian militants, yet now outlaws like the rest of us. I've known them for a while, you see."

Scarlet narrowed her eyes at the trio, giving them a good looking-over. "I've got a bad feeling about this," she voiced in an aside to Krystal. "Don't too many cooks spoil the broth?"

"Trust me, I owe them a lot," Krystal explained. "We've worked alongside each other in the past, and just this morning they freed us from the Androssians and helped us kick the collective ass of all the Titanian rebels."

While Krystal was talking, Sheila timidly stepped forward and extended her paw to Scarlet. "Hi! I'm Sheila. And you must be Scarlet, right?" The vixen reluctantly accepted Sheila's paw, unintentionally fueling Sheila's inner fangirl. "Oh my god! I've heard so much about you! And I read all the stories you're in, and I've seen all of the pieces written about you in Merc's Magazine, and—"

Rolling her eyes, Krystal pinched Sheila's ear. "Come on, She; stop gushing and give her some space. Jeez, you drool over her more than Phoenix does..."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Sheila stepped back and self-consciously brushed the hair out of her eyes. "It's a really bad obsession, I know! I have all of your centerfolds pinned up in my room, and all of your calendar appearances—"

"Sheila! No one wants to hear that!"

"I do," Phoenix mumbled, blushing.

"Yeaaaah," Scarlet trailed off, taking a cautious step back of her own. "Sorry, girl, but I've never heard of you."

Sheila's ears drooped. "Awww, really? But I'm Wolf's ex!"

"Well, congratulations, then. For leaving him, I mean."

Silence, punctuated by the calls of insects and wild birds.

Stepping forward and preventing the conversation from going even further south, Wes grunted, "We need to get a move on. Krystal, you sure you trust this woman?"

"Not further than I could throw you, hybrid," Krystal shot back, grinning at their reversed situation. "Still, we've worked together on several missions before, and we've both survived those in one piece, so I have no objections."

"Wait, you haven't asked _my_ opinion yet!" Scarlet huffed, placing her hands on her hips. "I have as much say in this matter as you do, Krys. Remember; we teamed up first. You'll have to do some convincing if you're going to change my opinion. And what are these other mercenaries doing here, anyway?"

Removing Scarlet from the rest of the group, Krystal explained, "Look, first off, I owe them big time for saving my ass from the Venomians. But more importantly, something's not right about this whole setup. This was supposed to be a secret operation, remember? You're looking for nukes, the Hunting Party is looking for loot. Well the Androssians we ran into yesterday? They were looking for something as well; some sort of valuable painting, but get this; it's supposedly located at the same base. Sheila, Vince, and Wes are after research on an alien race. Taylor and Furry were here earlier today, looking for god knows what, and just an hour ago we finished mopping up some Titanian jihadists. Are you sensing a pattern here?"

Scarlet began nodding her head. "I'm assuming each one of these groups were contacted by a different employer, and told that something specific to them was hidden in the vault. But everything can't be in the same vault, can it? The spoils of war, the warheads, the painting, the alien stuff, and everything else?"

Krystal shook her head. "Could be, but that's not the point. I'm just saying that we have no idea what's inside that vault besides what we've been told already."

"Kinda like Schrodinger's cat," Phoenix muttered, overhearing their conversation.

"What?"

"Schrodinger's cat?" Phoenix repeated to try and jog their memories. "It's a quantum mechanics experiment. Basically, if you stuff a cat in a box with poison for food, there's a fifty-fifty chance that when you open that box, the cat will still be alive. Yet, while that box is still closed, by this quantum theory, the cat is both alive and dead until you open it. By that logic, if you open the box and the cat is dead, you killed the cat."

"And what does this have to do with the vault?" Falco questioned.

"Well, we all expect different things in that vault," Phoenix explained. "That cat theory helped understand quantum states. With this quantum mechanics theory, technically everything is in that vault until someone opens it and confirms what is actually inside."

"So, everything is in that vault until we actually confirm what's inside?" Scarlet asked, a little hesitant and skeptical. "So if we claimed it and didn't open it, we could sell it for a much higher price?"

"Sounds entirely theoretical to me," Krystal commented.

"But just think about it," Phoenix continued, desperately trying to keep everyone's interest. "We—Krys, Falco and I, I mean—didn't know about the possibility of there being nukes, or the painting, or the potential of finding extraterrestrial life until we were told about it. If we would have found that stuff in the vault, we would have discovered that by our own knowledge, but if they weren't there and we didn't know about them, we never would have realized that they weren't there."

Wes cupped his head and let a growl form in his throat. "Oh my fucking god, someone shut him up."

"Technically, by this logic, Phoenix," Vince interjected. "You can be both right and wrong if this quantum mechanical theory is right. You're only wrong if you open that vault and find something you weren't expecting, or nothing at all."

"So if Schrodinger here wants to be right he won't open the vault at all," Krystal added. "We'll only kick his ass when he opens that vault and it's empty, right?"

"Wait, what?"

Falco couldn't withhold a laugh. "If I understand this right, if I kill Phoenix right now without any of you guys knowing, that means he's both dead and alive to you guys. But, as soon as you find his dead body, technically you guys killed him."

"Well, by that logic, anyone that goes to an open-casket funeral is a murderer," Phoenix muttered.

Finally dismissing the conversation, Krystal put the train of thought back on the rails by saying, "My point is, anyone might show up to claim it, and whatever other groups show up to take the treasure, we'll have to deal with at one point or another. What if the Cornerians find out about the base, huh? What if they discover Andross was conducting scientific experiments and the entire Cornerian army comes sweeping in to collect on it? Will we be able to face them on our own?"

Scarlet sighed, looking down. "No, I guess not. We may need them... but I still don't like the idea of teaming up. There's too large a chance they'll double-cross us."

Krystal gave Scarlet a pat on the shoulder. "Heh, at least we can trust each other, right?" Calling over her shoulder, she asked, "Falco! Where's that tracker? We need it now."

Falco reached into his pocket. "Sure, I got it right..." he trailed off, beginning to frantically pat down the zippered compartments of his flight jacket. "Funny, I could have sworn I had it right here. It-it was on me earlier today when I last checked it. I only took my jacket off when we stopped at the—"

The avian froze with his wings still positioned over his empty pockets. Slowly turning to Scarlet, his face blushed a deep shade of purple.

The crimson vixen grinned sheepishly, dangling the tracking device in front of Krystal's face. The azure bounty-huntress rudely snatched it from her fellow vixen, looking it over just to be safe. "So much for the mutual trust thing, Scarlet."

"Aw, I couldn't help myself, Krys," Scarlet said whilst devilishly smiling. Falco frantically waved his wings and shook his head, but to his chagrin, Scarlet continued. "It was like taking candy from a baby. Honestly, when we stopped at that spring, it was hard keeping Falco's clothes_ on_. Then, when I finally tired the poor bird out, I simply pocketed the tracker from his pile of clothes on the shore. But believe me, I had no intention of running off with it. I easily could have, you know."

Krystal fixed Falco with her piercing aqua eyes, torturing him with her judgmental gaze for a full minute. Then, she turned to the rest of the group. "Stazac, let's see if that device of yours works."

"Probably works better," Vince answered as Sheila took his makeshift tracker out and checked it.

"So, are we all in agreement?" Phoenix asked, stepping into the middle of the party. "We team up until we can get to the bottom of this, correct?"

"No objections from me!" Sheila answered energetically, bouncing on her feet.

Krystal crossed her arms. "Sure. Whatever."

"Scarlet?"

The red vixen continued eyeing the new trio with distrust, but she finally breathed, "Yeah, I'm for it."

Sheila pumped her first, then held the tracker in front of her. "All right, everyone: follow me!"

As the train of mercenaries and bounty hunters fell into line behind the husky's bobbing hair, Scarlet and Krystal brought up the rear.

"She's rather bossy, isn't she?" Scarlet grumbled. "I mean, who does she think she is to lead this operation?"

"Relax, Scar; she's just excited to get to work alongside you."

"Yeah? Well I don't like this. Not. One. Bit. Something tells me this is all going to come crashing down in one big fiery mess."

* * *

*** Alternate responses:**

**\- "Check your male vulpine privilege, Phoenix!"**

**\- "Go back to the safe space of the internet from whence you came, you Tumblrite!"**

**\- "Way to go full-McIntosh, Phoenix."**

**\- "Whoa, #Triggered."**

**\- "Gender studies? So like, the only thing less useful than Game Design? Way to put other people down so you can feel better, Elarix."**

**\- "Gender Studies? I thought you were in Game Art, or something."  
**** (Wes): "Did you just say "Gay Mart?" Vince, you'd love it there!"**

**\- "How's feminism working for you out here in the Lylat, Phoenix? How's it hold up against the three empowered but overly-sexualized women you've met so far, huh? Do we give a damn about you ogling our asses or opening doors for us? Do you see a fucking door in this jungle? Are you not gonna victim-blame me because of this skimpy outfit? Are you gonna blog about the rampant rape-culture in the criminal underworld? Yeah, feminist-theory works reeeeeeal good out here in the Lylat System, doesn't it?"**

**\- "Well fetch my problem glasses, mug of men's tears, and blue hair dye! Oh, wait..."**

* * *

**Sheppard's A/N: Maybe I'm trying too hard at this. Oh well. F****–****k it. It's fun, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it.**

**Anyway guys, hope you enjoy this chapter. Damn, some of the jokes we came up with this chapter… I can't even explain it. You can probably tell where Elarix added his jokes and where I added mine, but you know what? I'm trying, okay?**

**Also, in case you didn't catch the obscure joke, the running gag right now is that Elarix and I are in a long distance relationship. I'm overly attached and he's trying to get rid of me. Now reread the chapter. There's at least one joke that makes sense now, no?**

**Okay, I should probably wrap this up before Elarix cuts me off in the middle of my—**

**Elarix's A/N: Sheppard's a yandere, I swear. Notice me, senpai!**


	19. True Chainz Part 4: Threesome

**Chapter 19: True Chainz**

**Part 4: Threesome**

* * *

**Sheppard's A/N: How do you know I worked on a project? Two things. One; it gets neglected for a long-ass time. Two; look directly below.**

* * *

_It's funny how things work out_  
_Such a bitter irony_  
_Like a kick right to the teeth_

_It fell apart right from the start_  
_But I couldn't even see the forest for the trees_

_It's kind of sad 'cause what we had_  
_Well it could have been something_  
_I guess it wasn't meant to be_

_So how dare you_

_Try and steal my flame just 'cause yours faded_  
_Well hate is gasoline, a fire fueling all my dreams_  
_I'm afraid you asked for this_

_You've got a lot of nerve, but not a lot of spine_  
_You made your bed when you worried about mine_  
_This ends now_

_I wouldn't hold my breath if I was you_  
_Cause I'll forget but I'll never forgive you_  
_Don't you know, don't you know_  
_True friends stab you in the front_  
_I wouldn't hold my breath if I was you_  
_You broke my heart __and there's nothing you can do  
__And now you know, now you know  
__True friends stab you in the front_

_*Bring Me the Horizon — True Friends*_

* * *

"Oh look," Krystal groaned with mock enthusiasm. "Another giant hill."

The group of seven bounty-hunters had coalesced at the bottom of another large incline, which must have been the hundredth one they had run into that day. As one, they halted to take a much-needed breather.

Phoenix sat down on a pile of rocks, lungs heaving from exertion. As he gasped for more oxygen, he tipped his head back to gaze up the side of the steep hill. The deeper the sheer size of the incline sank in, the deeper his heart and hopes seemed to drop within him. He began to feel dizzy.

"You know," he muttered to no one in particular, "I use to have nightmares about climbing really steep walls like this. After all the hills we've run into today, I have a feeling my sleep won't be that restful tonight..."

Leaning against a tree and panting for breath, Scarlet asked, "Are you positive you're not taking us the_ long_ way to the base, Ms. Spitz?"

The cinnamon-furred husky glanced down at the small device in her palm, frowning as she flicked the LED display with her clawed digits. "Yeah, this is the most direct route alright—if it's working correctly, that is..."

To corroborate, Krystal removed her own tracker from her supply satchel and checked it. "Unfortunately, this is the right path. Of course it would have to be uphill the_ entire_ way to the base."

Wes, the giant hybrid, scowled at the rest of their company. "Weaklings. What's a few hills?" Shrugging it off, he stumbled forwards and began climbing the hill by himself, leaving the others with no choice but to follow. One by one, the allies stood or straightened up to follow Wes, struggling up the unforgiving hillside after him.

Pushing himself onwards and refusing to let himself be defeated, Phoenix climbed like everyone else. Less than halfway up the slope, however, the young vulpine slipped on a pile of dead leaves, losing his balance and stumbling backwards. His feet landed on the edge of a moss-covered stone, and he nearly fell over backwards down the hill. He teetered on the edge of the rock, wind-milling his arms to regain balance, but to no avail.

An instant away from falling, Sheila noticed his plight and grabbed his paw, jerking him back from the edge. With the vulpine's footing recovered, she exclaimed, "Whoa there! That was close, wasn't it?"

In response, Phoenix merely attempted to wrench his hand free from the canine's grasp. "Ow, ow! Not that hand!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Sheila quickly let go and placed a paw over her mouth in embarrassment. "Ooh, I didn't mean to hurt you! Are you okay?"

The tod held his bandaged hand in front of him, grimacing as it twitched in pain. "Ah, it'll be fine," he assured her, making sure she didn't feel bad about herself. "Thanks for stopping my fall, though. I would have hated climbing all the way back up here."

"But you're sure your hand's okay, right?" Sheila persisted. While Phoenix responded, she tenderly took his broken paw in hers and examined it, delicately turning it from side to side and feeling the bandages.

"Yeah, yeah it's fine; I'm positive. As fine as it'll ever be, I guess..."

Sheila carefully let go of his hand and looked back up at him. "Well, don't worry about falling again; I've got my eye on you."

Phoenix grinned sheepishly. "Uh, same." Then, realizing his mistake, he stumbled, "Er, I mean, I'll do the same for you. I've got my eye on you. I mean, I'll_ keep_ an eye out for you. You know, to make sure you don't fall, either—"

Sheila smiled and giggled warmly at his awful recovery attempt. "Wow, you know you look cute when you're embarrassed?"

"—I-I do?" Phoenix transitioned flawlessly. But the husky merely winked at him and turned to continue climbing, tail swishing in her wake.

After Sheila was well away from Phoenix, Krystal appeared out of nowhere to grab the vulpine's shoulder and pull him away from the rest of the group. In a hushed but angry voice, she whispered, "Alright, what's going on?"

Phoenix gave Krystal a confused look and grunted, "Huh?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Phoenix. You've been staring at that mutt ever since she showed up!"

Phoenix quickly sensed the jealousy in the vixen's countenance. "It's just her hair, okay? It's really distracting. I mean, just look how it—"

Frustrated, Krystal shoved his shoulder. "Come on, out with it; what does Sheila mean to you!?"

"N-nothing, really!" Phoenix stammered, glancing ahead at the husky's back. "Though I guess she's kinda nice and tender-spirited." He looked down at his wounded paw and rubbed the bandages, remembering Sheila's careful touch. "If anything, she feels like a caring sister."

Krystal scoffed. "Oh, and I suppose Scarlet's like a cousin!"

The rouge-furred fox sprayed a mouthful of water across a leafy bush, coughing as she struggled to close her canteen back up.

Grabbing Phoenix's shirt collar and pulling him closer to her face, Krystal continued, "Look, if your dick ruins this mission for us, you'll pay with your head. Check that: both your heads."

Phoenix narrowed his eyes at the vixen. "Hey, I'd worry more about Falco. He's the one who lost the tracker to Scarlet, remember?"

Turning her head away from Phoenix, Krystal glared off at the blue avian further up the hill. "Oh I'm not through with feathers-for-pubes yet."

Rudely thrusting Phoenix away from herself—and nearly sending him back down the hillside—she bounded up the incline after Falco. With his free hand, Phoenix rubbed his neckline where his shirt-collar had chaffed him, watching the vixen go.

"Well that went better than expected."

After a few more minutes of climbing, the seven allies arrived at the top of the hill, once again taking a break to catch their breath. The hill dropped off steeply on the other side, diving into a well-forested valley. On the opposite side of the vale were a series of jagged, rock-wall cliffs, glowing a pale shade of silver in the sunlight. The Lylatian sun hung in the light blue sky, casting pearl-gold rays into the valley, some of which reflected off a small river coursing through the vale. While it was well past noon, there were still several hours of daylight left. Regardless, a sea of clouds was beginning to converge in the skies above them, casting dark, racing shadows over the valley beneath.

Standing at the edge of the ridge, Sheila glanced down at Vince's tracker and pointed forwards across the valley. "There. Those cliffs lie directly in our path. I hope you're up to some more climbing."

While the group collectively groaned, Falco stepped over to Sheila's side and gazed through his sniper rifle's scope, scrutinously surveying the natural stone walls. "If there are some cliffs in our path, that sounds like the most ideal location for a base..." After a few moments, he stopped sweeping his rifle from left to right, and reached up to twist the scope's zoom lens. "Wait... I think I see something... aaaand bingo."

Suddenly, at the drop of a dime, everyone's mood and hopes suddenly skyrocketed.

"Here, give me that!" Wes growled, snatching the gun from Falco's hands. The avian glared at the hybrid, but otherwise helped him locate the base.

"A little to your left—there, it's a hangar gate set in the base of the cliff."

"Well I'll be damned," Wes breathed. "We have ourselves a base."

Phoenix squinted his eyes and tried to follow the rifle's line of sight, but couldn't make out what the avian indicated. Krystal, on the other hand, jubilantly pumped her fist. "Alright: let's open that motherfucker up!"

But before she could run off down the hillside, Sheila grabbed her wrist. "Krystal, wait a moment!"

The vixen slid to a stop, turning to glare in confusion at the husky. "Huh? What's up? The base is right there!"

"Yes, but we can't just go rushing into this tits-up! We need a plan!"

"We have a plan!" Krystal exclaimed. "We run in there before anyone else, light that sucker up, raid the base for treasure, and then get the hell out of this jungle!"

"Oh, and what if someone's down there, waiting for us?" Sheila countered. "What if those maniacal Neo-Androssians are waiting for us, or worse yet, the Cornerian army? Or what if some assassin sharp-shooter is waiting to pick us off when we arrive at the gate?"

"But we can't afford to wait any longer!" Falco argued, taking Krystal's side. "You're right; there's no telling who else might be after the vault, but it seems like we're the first ones here. Anyone in their right mind would rush the base and loot it as fast as they could. There's no sense in waiting around for others to show up. The objective isn't to kill each other here; the prize is the treasure—or whatever else lies in that base. Take your pick, really."

Placing a wing on Sheila's shoulder, he explained, "Look, if we want the base's contents for ourselves, we have to get a move on, before anyone else beats us to it. We already lost precious time after Krystal and Phoenix got captured by those Venomians, so we have to make up for it. It's now or never!"

"I'll have to agree with Sheila on this one." Phoenix stepped forward, placing himself between the two women. "I know how you and your "friends" act out here. I'll wager the contents of that vault that some smaller outfit is waiting for us right now. And you know why? They're waiting for us to blow open that gate ourselves, risk our own necks retrieving the treasure, and then they'll hold us up and steal it on our way out!"

"Hey, who's side are you on, Phoenix!?" Krystal exclaimed.

"You have to admit, you would do the same thing in their position," Phoenix went on. "If it was just our outfit alone, or even just you by yourself, the smart thing to do would be to wait for a larger group to go in first and then swipe the treasure from them."

"Is there even a point to this alliance anymore?"

"Huh?"

All eyes turned to Wes' towering figure, hands suspiciously next to his weapon. "We've completed our objective. We found the base. No one else is around—no other enemies that we have to work together to defeat. I'd say we no longer have a reason to continue this truce."

"Wes, you can't be serious," Vince, the arctic fox stated.

"I'd say we're as good as enemies now," the hybrid finished.

Falco looked around suddenly, counting the members of their party.

"Say, has anyone seen Scarlet?"

A hush fell over the tense allies. As one, Krystal and Sheila drew their guns. Facing away from each other, they scanned the jungle hedges, tree trunks, and piles of stones that surrounded them. They came up empty; the vixen was gone.

After both completed a full rotation, they spun around once more to face each other, guns still raised. Phoenix, who had stepped between the two girls during their argument, raised his hands in surrender. "Whoa-ho-ho! Don't shoot, ladies!"

"Lionheart!" Krystal jerked her head back towards Falco. "Move out of the way, now!"

"Phoenix, stay right where you are," Sheila warned, cocking her gun.

"And suddenly, from my perspective, things look awful," the vulpine moaned, glancing back and forth between the three gun barrels pointing at him.

"She, put the gun back where it belongs," Krystal ordered, lowering her voice for once. "It doesn't have to be this way."

"If I lower mine you'll just shoot me with_ both_ of yours. No dice. If you make one wrong move, Krys, I'll let you have it. Or Phoenix, if I have to."

"Ladies, please stop!" Phoenix exclaimed, not moving from his current position. Trapped between the two angry women, he let out an audible gulp. His pulse spiked dangerously high, while his heart felt like a bartender had just served it on the rocks.

"Phoenix, what are you doing!?" Krystal exclaimed. "This is no time to play peacemaker! Get out of the way and draw your pistol!"

Phoenix tore his gaze away from the trio of guns pointed at him and looked at Falco. Just as he turned to look, the avian raised his own rifle to point at Wes, who returned the gesture with his over-sized handgun. Finally, his eyes met Vince's, and they locked onto each other. It was apparent in the way the scientist looked that he had seen the same situation play out hundreds of times before. With an agonized expression, Vince clutched at the tree trunk behind him and slowly began retreating around it. There was nothing he could do. He wanted none of it—not again.

"Dammit, Phoenix, he's getting away!" Krystal hissed. "Shoot the little twat!"

With desperate eyes, Phoenix continued pleading with both of them. "Please, no one has to get hurt if you just drop your weapons! Could you just stop being cold-blooded killers for one fucking second!" As his voice echoed over the hilltops, he couldn't believe how loud it was.

"I should've known you'd pull something like this, Sheila," Krystal said, spitting on the ground in disgust. "Teaming up with us just so you could stab us in the back when we least expected it! You never think of anything but helping your own sorry ass."

"Are you kidding me!?" Sheila cried in a high-pitched voice. "Just this morning we saved you from a horde of bloodthirsty Androssians!"

Krystal flicked her left-hand gun, testing the husky's response time. "You don't expect me to believe you did that out of charity, do you? You were just after the tracker! You needed us to help you defeat those bloody terrorists and any damn Cornerians you might have come across!"

Sheila resisted Krystal's provocation, but kept her own gun faithfully pointed at the vixen. "Well that's the pot-calling the kettle black! Look who used us to escape those Venomians and meet back up with your teammates after you_ lost_ them! Without _our_ tracker, you would have been as good as marooned on this barbaric planet,_ Princess!_"

"Why you fucking—listen, there's no fooling me. You meant to betray us all along—admit it,_ Sweetie._"

"Sweetie!?" Sheila yelled into the treetops. "Don't you dare call me Sweetie. Oh, you just crossed the line, Krystal. That's it, I've had enough of you shooting your jaw off."

"Go on, make a move, _Sweetie_," Krystal goaded her. "You'd love to try me, wouldn't you? You've been aching to take me head on since we met."

"Then come on! We're going head-to-head, Krys—"

A gun fired, sending a loud boom through the forest.

Reflexively, both Krystal and Sheila dove to opposite sides of the hilltop, opening fire on each other as they did so. Before they even hit the ground, they had collectively fired more than a dozen shots, and quick as a flash they recovered to take off running.

At the first sign of flying lead and lasers, Phoenix ducked to the ground, crawling on all-fours to escape the deadly exchange of fire. He spared a glance at the two women, who had taken off after each other down into the valley below. Looking around, he barely caught a glimpse of Wes and Falco heading deeper into the forest as well, weapons spraying glowing lasers at each other.

Vince—Phoenix had to find Vince. If there was one person who would keep his head during all this conflict, he was confident it was Vince. Not sparing another backwards glance, he disappeared into the dense jungle in search of the arctic fox.

For several seconds, the small forest hollow became silent. Not too far away, mixed gunshot and laser fire echoed up the sides of the hill, scattering flocks of colorful birds as they drifted farther away. But besides the cracking of weapons, the glade was silent for a moment.

A red vixen stepped out from behind a thick tree trunk, only daring to cock her laser weapon again after several seconds of near-silence. With the jungle hollow empty, she ventured out into the clearing, pausing to look down either side of the hill. Her ears perked up, listening intently for the tell-tale sign of conventional bullets. Finally, she was able to discern the sound of kinetics from the valley below.

Not sparing any more time, Scarlet sprinted off down the hill.

* * *

Branches, leaves, and vines whipped past Krystal's face. The jungle scenery flew past her in a blur, with the wind ruffling her blue pelt. The sensation was exhilarating—almost as if she were flying on the outside of an arwing.

The report of a rifle cracked somewhere on her right side, and she ducked to avoid the projectile blasted her way. A bullet pinged off a small stone crag on her left, but it had passed well behind her. No amount of calculated evasion had saved her from the bullet; only the sheer speed with which she traversed the jungle.

"What's the matter, scared?" Sheila called out after Krystal ducked to avoid the shot. At the moment, Krystal was running neck-and-neck with Sheila down the hillside, both unwilling to let the other reach the vault first.

Still running at a dangerous pace, Krystal extended her two semi-automatics and fired through the wall of moving foliage on her right. To her dismay, no cry of pain echoed beneath the leafy canopy, and the cinnamon-colored blur continued to streak through the jungle.

The rifle went off again, this time landing a bullet inches beneath Krystal's feet. She yipped and leapt into the air, only barely managing to hit the ground running again. As Krystal cursed herself, Sheila merely laughed.

"Can't fight fire with fire, Krystal. You're pretty good, but I'm better."

Krystal visibly grimaced. "Ugh, Wolf sure rubbed one out on you—oops, I mean rubbed off on you. You've been around that cyborg too much; you're starting to sound like him. By the way, I've been meaning to ask you something..."

"Yeah, what?" Sheila gasped between breaths, leaning forward and covering her head as Krystal sent another spray of lead her way.

"Why did you leave O'Donnell, anyway? Was it because—" She was cut off by a fallen log in her path, which she leapt over without even breaking pace. "Was it because of that accident he had? That explosion? Is it no fun humping a synthetic dick?"

Sheila snarled, cocking her rifle and blasting another shot off at the vixen. "At least_ I'm_ not infatuated with Fox's stunt-double!"

Unable to think up a suitable comeback, Krystal raised her pistols and mashed the triggers like a child at a video game arcade.

At that moment, both women broke free from the thick jungle, ending up in the shallow river at the base of the hill. Once they were both ankle-deep in the water, no cover or obstacles remained in between them, giving each bounty-hunter a clear shot at their opponent. Krystal seized the chance first, swinging her Berettas to point at Sheila. She squeezed the triggers.

*_Click*_ *_Click*_

_Shit!_ Krystal cursed. She had completely emptied her guns at Sheila on the way down, leaving her with no remaining bullets left in her clips. And, with Sheila already raising her rifle, she had no time to reload. Holstering one of her pistols, she reached for her gun belt and unclipped one of two grenades there. Immediately arming it, Krystal pulled it back to throw at Sheila, but her arm froze behind her head.

"Drop the grenade,_ now,_" Sheila ordered, rifle ready and aimed at Krystal's chest.

The grenade beeped erratically above the vixen's head, its rate of ticking accelerating. "Sheila, it's armed! It's gonna blow!"

"You should have thought of that_ before_ you armed it!" Sheila yelled from further down the river.

"But I have to do something! What if_ I_ get blown up and turned into a cyborg like Wolf?"

"You can start a fanclub, for all I care," Sheila retorted. "Well what do you expect me to say? Give it to me and I'll fix it?"

"Huh... great idea!"

Sheila's eyes slowly widened. "Wait, Krystal, NO!"

Faster than the husky could fire, Krystal spiked the live grenade into the water between them, just in time for the impending explosion to launch a wall of water into the air. Sheila blindly fired through the spray of droplets, but Krystal was already on the move. Like a wild Fury, Krystal burst from the rain of water, knife in hand and unloaded gun in the other. She shoved the pistol in Sheila's face, with the hope of distracting her from the knife she was currently thrusting at her stomach. However, a ray of sunlight glinted off the side of the blade, catching the husky's eye.

Correctly judging that Krystal had no time to reload the gun currently pointed at her head, Sheila instead focused on the knife approaching her gut. With one swift motion, she brought her rifle down on Krystal's knife arm, causing the weapon to miss its mark. Emitting a feral snarl, Krystal used her gun to press Sheila's rifle out of the way while she readied a second thrust. She raised her arm above her head and flipped the knife in her hand so that the point faced downwards at Sheila's chest. Still, the husky managed to protect herself once again, this time by raising her free hand and grabbing Krystal's wrist below the knife, effectively keeping her from swinging it down.

The two bounty-hunters danced in the stream, locked in a mutual struggle with the knife at the center. Either Sheila would force it out of her hand, or Krystal would slowly lower the dagger into the canine's heart.

Blaster fire erupted from the trees on the river bank, and a blood-red laser struck the knife in their hands. Both canids yelped and let go of the dagger and each other, though Krystal managed to catch the knife in the end. The bounty-hunters spared the shoreline a quick glance, then took off running in opposite directions to circle around the newcomer.

_It's Scarlet_, Krystal told herself._ It has to be. Thank god she missed me, though a laser hole through Sheila's neck would have met my Kickstarter's stretch goal..._

In a second, Krystal had stepped ashore again and was reloading her guns. If she guessed correctly and Scarlet was the third gunman, they were in for one convoluted fight. Hopefully, Scarlet and Sheila hadn't planned to double-cross her behind her back, which was unlikely, given that the two women hadn't met before... had they?

Hoping that Scarlet would focus on Sheila, Krystal kept a mark on her last position. She gave the red-furred vixen a wide birth, circling around until she had placed Scarlet between herself and the river.

Closing her eyes, Krystal took a moment to steady her breathing and heart rate. The jungle was her natural habitat, no matter how much she griped and complained about the heat. That was all just an act. The tropical forest was her element. Now, with her eyes closed, she began searching her memory for the skills she had developed as a child. For years, she had crept silently through the jungles of Cerinia and Sauria. Slowly, it all began to come back to her. The thick, muggy air, the scents of dew-covered plants and flowers, the calls of insects and exotic birds... For a moment, she felt transported back in time and space to the forests of her youth.

She was the hunter—and Scarlet her prey.

Opening her eyes again, she holstered her pistols and drew her knife. If she could kill Scarlet silently, Sheila wouldn't be aware of her death. That way, the canine would constantly be distracted while keeping an eye out for a dead enemy. And, if she could successfully sneak up on Scarlet, a quick and easy kill was guaranteed.

Krystal set out, nimbly creeping through the undergrowth. She kept her head low and legs splayed, spreading her weight equally between her feet. To minimize the sound of the dead leaves crinkling beneath her hind paws, she stepped toes-first, then heel. It took her a few tries to get the step down, but once she got into the swing of it, she effortlessly glided through the jungle like a snake through water. With the utmost care, she brushed aside leafy branches and avoided stepping on dried twigs, remaining as silent as a ghost.

* * *

Diving behind a thick fallen tree, Falco barely escaped an onslaught of deep yellow lasers mindlessly scattered in his general vicinity. As soon as he regained his footing after slipping and stumbling on the jungle foliage, he poked his sniper rifle over the trunk and blindly unloaded a couple bursts in retaliation. He then swore, ducking his head below the fallen log a split second before a laser careened above his head and struck the tree behind him.

"I'mma turn your little squawky ass into chicken!" Wes hollered, followed by another round of laser fire pelting Falco's surrounding area.

"Shit... think Falco, think," the avian mumbled to himself, slapping his face for good measure. He finally decided to pop up again, only to narrowly dodge another round of lethal gunfire. "Dammit, bad idea, bad idea!"

"S'amatter, _bird_?" Wes sneered through the dense jungle growth, footsteps accompanying his words. "Scared that big 'ol Wessy is gonna fuck your shit up? ...Damn, it feels good to hear myself swear again."

"That's a lot of talk for someone so dense," Falco retorted, quickly jumping behind trees to avoid being seen. "How hard was it to keep your D average in high school?"

"At least I _went _to high school," Wes snapped back.

"Yeah, failing basic English and singing acapella in the spring musical," Falco chirped, crouching low as he poked his beak around one of the trunks.

There he saw Wes chop down a low hanging branch with nothing but the stock of his rifle, the snapping wood reverberating through the jungle as he spoke, "I'm really startin' to get sick and tired of hearing your annoying voice."

"Least I'm not Slippy."

Wes momentarily paused, and even with the distance the avian had, he could have sworn that the hybrid let out a smirk at that remark.

"True."

Falco finally pounced, firing back at the vulnerable hybrid, who just managed to dive to the ground in time to avoid the fire. He then replied with his own shots, barely missing the avian by mere inches. Falco quickly pressed his back against the tree, panting from exertion.

"You picked a fight with the wrong bastard, bird," Wes growled, activating a green concentrated energy sword.

"I didn't start any of this, thank you," Falco hollered back. "You can blame Krystal and her itchy trigger finger. Don't you try to pin any of this on me, you—"

Falco instantly stopped when the green energy beam pierced straight through the trunk of the tree, directly underneath and dangerously close to his crotch. The avian was quick to strike on the hybrid's miscue, grabbing onto a nearby branch and swinging his body around it. He used the momentum to swing directly into Wes, catching him off-guard enough to make him lose his footing. As he staggered backwards, Falco hit the ground and spun his leg outward, clipping Wes' heels enough to make him stumble head over heels down a slight hill.

"Had enough already?" Falco chirped.

"Not even close, bub!" Wes shouted back, followed with the sound of crunching leaves. Before Falco even knew it, Wes was back up and poised to strike. Falco's first instinct was to deflect the heavy fist hurtling towards him, and he did, but the sheer power of the blow left his wing temporarily numb, which allowed Wes to deliver another powerful shot that took the breath right out of him and made him fall backwards. He nimbly rolled out of the way before the hybrid's boot could come crashing down on his skull, then staggered up to his feet, only to have the canine's shoulder spear into his chest and forcefully slam his back into a tree. Wes then tried to follow it up with a devastating uppercut, but Falco just barely dodged, causing Wes to carve out a large section of tree bark with his missed blow.

Falco rolled to the ground, attempting to use his legs to kick the hybrid down, but Wes grabbed one of his ankles before he had a chance to launch it. Without even thinking, Wes used his unnatural strength to essentially toss Falco like a rag doll. The avian hit the ground in a less-than-ceremonious roll into the foliage, but when he tried to spring up to his feet he felt a nasty blood rush to his head that momentarily disoriented him. That distraction was all Wes needed to spear the avian again, this time inadvertently making both of them tumble down a steep incline into the resulting valley below.

* * *

For several minutes, Krystal crept through the jungle, until a ledge appeared in front of her, leading further down the hill. The faint sound of measured breathing came from below. Catching her own breath, Krystal eased over to the edge of the small cliff and peered over the side.

On the ground below, Scarlet was unsuccessfully attempting to sneak around as well, though unlike Krystal, she wasn't used to traversing dense forests. The vixen held her blaster with both hands, pointing straight up beside her right ear. Her ears perked up, scanning all directions for out-of-place sounds. Sensing nothing, she continued walking beneath the overhang, oblivious to Krystal's presence.

_She's worried about Sheila,_ Krystal thought, carefully letting out her breath._ She thinks she knows me well enough to guess my movements and skills... how wrong the poor woman is. You think I'm too loud and hot-headed to pull off stealth missions? Anywhere else, maybe. But I'm on my home field here, bitch. You think you could hear me coming a mile away, don't you? That's right, forget about me. Worry about Sheila, the bounty-hunter whose skills you_ don't_ know..._

Slowly, as Scarlet approached the ground beneath her position, Krystal readied her knife and rose to a crouching position. And when the rouge-furred vixen was directly below her, she pounced. Yet, to her dismay, the movement caused a small cascade of pebbles and debris to tumble off the cliff's edge.

Scarlet was immediately alerted to Krystal's presence. At the last possible instant, the vixen turned, dropping her blaster and catching a hold of Krystal's knife arm. The Cerinian tackled her prey to the ground, only to find that Scarlet had successfully diverted the knife from her throat. To Krystal's utter surprise, Scarlet used her momentum to flip her over and change their relative positions, wrenching the blade free in the process. Krystal slid a few feet in the carpet of dried leaves scattered across the floor, but immediately sprang to her feet again.

Scarlet's hand flew to her blaster's holster, her eyes widening when she realized it wasn't there. She glanced back, catching sight of the laser weapon a few yards away. When she turned back to face her opponent, she found two silver-colored pistols pointing right back at her.

"I might be a bit rusty with my stealth skills," Krystal panted, "But at least my firearms are on point, eh, Scarlet?"

A gun cocked behind her, and Krystal's wicked grin fell. Turning her head slightly, she stared down the onyx muzzle of Sheila's rifle.

"Can't let you do that, Krystal!" Sheila cooed with an evident mocking tone.

Krystal's face twisted into a disgusted frown. She was now caught between two different adversaries; one with a knife readied to strike—the other with a rifle pointed at her head. At least she had two firearms at her disposal.

"Well this isn't fair," Scarlet pouted. "I'm in a Mexican standoff with a knife. Uh... what say we call a truce and have ourselves a three-way?"

Sheila's ears perked up. "Huh? You mean it!?"

"Oh for the love of..." Krystal took Sheila's momentary distraction as an opportunity to round one of her Berettas at her. She opened fire on her opponents, forcing them to end the standoff. Scarlet ducked low while scrambling closer to Krystal, and Sheila leaned back to dodge the first set of bullets.

Krystal was caught between the two women, forced to simultaneously battle each one. On Scarlet's end, she struggled to line a shot up with any part of the vixen's body, though her opponent used her fist and knife arm to bat her gun aside before each blast. Sheila's side of the battle was similar; at such a close range, she found it impossible to point her rifle at Krystal. Instead, she wielded it like a quarterstaff and focused on knocking Krystal's gun away each time it pointed at her. For some time, the canids fought in this manner; Scarlet and Sheila on either side of Krystal, blocking each of her attempted shots, while the vixen struggled to maintain dominance at the center of the fight. She was quickly becoming overwhelmed, unable to focus long enough on one woman before the other threatened to strike and stole her attention, and the bullets in her current clips wouldn't last much longer.

Finally, the dreaded sound reached her ears.

_*Click* *Click*_

"Dammit, not again!"

Before either of her enemies could react and seize upon her state of vulnerability, Krystal decided to break free from the tangled mess she had started. Acting faster than the eye could follow, Krystal slammed Sheila's rifle downwards, exposing the husky's stomach. She dove forward, headbutting the canine in the gut, an attack that sent Sheila sprawling backwards. Immediately turning her attention back to Scarlet, she pulled the vixen in closer, kneed her in the abdomen, and brought the butt of her gun down on the vixen's head.

Scarlet crumpled to the ground, unconscious, giving Krystal the chance to focus entirely on Sheila. But when she turned to face the husky, the woman had already turned tail and was running back towards the stream bank. Reaching for her gun belt, Krystal's paw met empty air. She patted her waist down, but found no remaining clips attached to her belt.

Cursing herself for using up all of her ammo, she flung herself on the ground and picked up Sheila's forgotten rifle... but it too was out of ammo.

"Goddammit," Krystal swore again, flinging the rifle back into the moss-covered floor. Sheila had been bluffing the whole time. She must have run out of bullets on the way down the hill and while they were in the river...

_Scarlet's blaster!_ Krystal spun around and groped through the leaves until she located the weapon. She checked the charge:_ 96 percent_.

If there was one positive thing about energy-based weapons, it took a lot of effort to dispose of all their ammo, and the only other possible danger was overheating the blaster by firing too quickly. Krystal hated to admit it, but her conventional weapons were outclassed by laser weapons when it came to ammunition.

After checking the energy counter on the blaster, she glanced at Scarlet's crumpled form. Each second she paused, Sheila was getting further and further away. She couldn't bring herself to kill an old friend, yet taking the effort to tie her up was also out of the question; she didn't have the time.

Leaving Scarlet behind, Krystal dashed off down the rest of the hillside once again.

* * *

"Vince?" Phoenix shouted through the dense jungle. "Vince, where are you?"

Silence replied, making the auburn vulpine even more worried than he already was. Amidst the rustling of leaves, he could still hear the faint sound of gunfire echoing throughout the surrounding area, and even at certain moments he could hear a scream of protest or howl of elation. Pushing the distracting sounds to the back of his mind, Phoenix trudged through the dense underbrush, the weapon in his paws trembling.

"Vince, please say something!" Phoenix cried out. "I-I-I'm not gonna shoot; I promise!"

The vulpine approached a rather steep decline in the terrain elevation, so steep that he couldn't easily get down. He clasped his sidearm to his waist, lowered himself all the way down to his knees, then, using his unbroken paw and tail for balance, slid down the incline like a ski slope. Towards the bottom of the hill he found himself sliding down, the terrain started to level out, so Phoenix popped back up to his feet while still keeping his momentum. Yet, his luck came back to bite him soon thereafter as a thick root sticking out of the ground caught the vulpine's foot, casting him face-first onto the jungle floor.

Phoenix rolled over onto his back and pawed at his nose, feeling a small cut just at the bridge of his muzzle. Yet, instead of jumping back up to his feet, he laid there in the damp grass, taking a few minutes to gain his breath and rest his tired legs. In the meantime, he used a spare cloth to clean up the cut on his muzzle.

"This whole thing is insane," Phoenix sighed, looking up at the perfect portal to the partly cloudy blue sky through the ceiling of jungle trees. "You know what, Phoenix? You're the stupidest person alive. If you wouldn't have stayed up 'till the break of dawn compensating for your partners' lack of work on your shitty little game project OR WAITING FOR SHEPPARD TO GET YOU THOSE SCENESyou wouldn't have fallen asleep in econ, and you wouldn't have had that stupid idea to try to stand up to Krystal. Now look what you've gotten yourself into."

Phoenix let his arms fall limply at his sides, his eyes becoming transfixed with the sky above him. "Now you're stuck in some god-forsaken jungle with a bunch of trigger happy mercenaries, when all you want to do is kick back at your dorm and watch the latest OPM episode, and not give a single shit about any of what the hell all of these mercenaries are doing."

Letting a sigh escape his nose, Phoenix folded his paws behind his head, making sure not to put any pressure on the broken one. "I don't even know what's making me stay. I should've walked out a month ago. This isn't my life. This isn't what I want to do."

"Are you sure about that?"

Phoenix jumped at the new voice, staggering up to his feet in a manner that was genuinely humorous. Once he caught his bearings, he found himself looking at the arctic fox he was searching for, leaning up against a tree.

"Vince," the vulpine sputtered, patting at his sides, only to come up empty. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," Vince replied, taking a few steps forward. As he came closer, the auburn vulpine noticed something silver and metallic in Vince's paw. Impulsively, the vulpine raised his arms up.

"Vince, I'm not hostile," he pleaded.

"I know," the arctic fox responded, letting the silver handgun fall from his grasp and into the grass. He showed his open palms. "Neither am I."

Phoenix breathed a sigh of relief. "Damn… this is crazy."

All Vince did was awkwardly nod his head, tentatively stepping backwards.

"Hey, wait," Phoenix piped up. "Vince, what's wrong?"

Vince shot a glance in the open handgun's direction, then looked back up at Phoenix.

"Do you really think I'd do that to you?" the vulpine inquired softly.

"Not without a reason," the white fox answered with a trembling voice. "And you've got a pretty good reason to do it."

"What are you talking about?"

Vince started biting on his paw.

"Vince, what's going on?" Phoenix questioned.

"I'm sorry," Vince squeaked out, taking longer steps backwards. "I-I shouldn't have—"

"Tell me!" the auburn vulpine yelped, attempting to chase after the other fox. Vince panicked and fumbled with another small device he pulled out of his pocket, but managed to throw it on the ground right at the other fox's feet. Phoenix tried to avoid it, but before he knew it the device opened up and detonated in an electrical discharge. Instantly, Phoenix froze in place, paralyzed due to the intensity of the shock wave.

"Phoenix, I'm so sorry!" Vince whimpered, moisture starting to accumulate in his eyes.

"What are you doing?" Phoenix growled, fighting with himself to move, but unable to do so.

"I'm sorry, but that's my team out there," Vince answered. "I need to help them."

"But what about our truce?" the other vulpine pleaded.

"Obviously Krystal doesn't believe in truces," the white fox spat. "I'm sorry, but I need to do this."

"No! Don't hurt her!" Phoenix yelled. "Please!"

Vince stopped in his tracks, looking halfway over his shoulder. "Do you really care that much for her?"

"She's my teammate," Phoenix answered, "My friend. She may be unbearable sometimes, but she's still part of the team… part of _us._"

Vince couldn't help but chuckle. "You know, you have no idea how much you sound like Fox right now."

"You're comparing me to Fox _again_?"

"Phoenix, Fox wanted Krystal to stay on his team because he cared," Vince explained. "Now you want to stay on her team because you care."

"Well, yeah, but—"

"Remember what I said?" the arctic fox asked. "Fox wasn't who he was known for until he found something worth fighting for. First it was his father, and then it was Krystal. I think… I think you found someone to fight for. That's why you want to stay. That's why you _didn't _leave."

Phoenix didn't have anything to say. He wanted to tell Vince that he had it all wrong, but something in the back of his mind made him shut himself up. He wanted to tell him that Krystal didn't matter that much, but at the same time he didn't want to admit that he truly cared about what happened to her.

Vince shook his head. "You take care of yourself, Phoenix."

Phoenix could only watch helplessly as Vince swiped the handgun holstered at his waist, then pivoted his ears and ran off towards the nearest sound of gunfire he could hear. The auburn vulpine desperately tried to get Vince's attention, but he was long gone now. Slowly, Phoenix started regaining feeling in his extremities, yet it would take quite a while for him to finally be able to move.

As he waited for the paralysis to wear off, he couldn't divert his eyes from the silver handgun lying in the grass that Vince had left behind.

* * *

Wes laid on his back, panting and gasping for breath, while Falco tried to get his senses back in working order. Yet, the hybrid was first to his feet, putting a boot over Falco's chest.

"Give me a good reason why I shouldn't cave your chest in right now," Wes breathed heavily, glaring daggers down at the avian.

"Because I read _Veria_," Falco sputtered back.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Wes snarled back.

"You die halfway through!"

Falco delivered a hefty elbow to the hybrid's ankle, causing a rather loud bark of pain to slip through his teeth, then used that momentary distraction to pull Wes' leg down, therefore bringing the hybrid to the ground. Falco stumbled to his feet before the hybrid could recover, then wasted no time in delivering a hard boot that connected with the wolf-dog's muzzle, sending a spray of blood and a few canine teeth all over the jungle floor.

Falco backed up a few inches and looked over Wes' sputtering frame, unable to withhold a smirk. "Piece of cake," he remarked proudly, pulling out his reflector and kicking it above his head in a taunting display of skill. "Now I know why everyone hates hybrids. You guys suck _ass_!"

Unknowingly, Falco tripped a wire inside of the hybrid's head. As soon as Wes picked himself up, he roared and charged, catching Falco off-guard once more. Spearing his gut with his shoulder again, Wes forcefully slammed Falco against the back of a cliff, smacking the avian's skull against the solid rock. This time, the wolf-dog finished the onslaught with a heavy uppercut that damn near chipped Falco's beak, then let the avian slide down the jagged rocks until his tail feathers hit the ground, dazed.

The huge wolf hybrid scavenged for his beam sword in the mess of jungle foliage as Falco attempted to shake the stars out of his head. With blurred vision and impeded hearing, he watched as a glowing green blob suddenly popped out of a mesh of colors, followed by a faint, sadistic sounding laugh.

"I knew that you Star Fox buggers were nothing like you were praised for," Wes started, spitting a large amount of blood out of his battered muzzle as he swung the emerald green blade expertly before him. "All just a name. Nothing but a bunch of rookie pilots flying tin cans. Now you don't even have a leader anymore. I'm sure McCloud is rolling in his grave knowing that I bested you this easy. You're cocky, arrogant, irritating, and an insubordinate waste of my time. I'm sure that if Fox could, he'd come out of his grave just to give you what—"

_**BANG**_

Wes immediately clutched at his neck, feeling the immense pain of searing heat melt away at his nerves and veins. Sputtering uncontrollably, Wes dropped the beam sword and fell to his knees, desperately clawing and clutching at the singed hole in his thick, furry neck.

Falco snickered to himself as he let his handgun fall out of his wing, then he too let a spray of blood leave his beak as a violent cough rocked through his system. He might have had a few cracked ribs, and for certain he felt a concussion, but he still managed to pick himself up as Wes continued to sputter for breath.

Falco assumed a disgusted expression as he wiped away some of the blood from his face, and as he took step after slow step towards the choking hybrid, he pointed a finger at him and spoke in a tired, breathy, and painfully hoarse voice, "Stupid… worthless… no good goddamn freeloadin' son of a bitch!"

Falco slugged the hybrid's muzzle, causing him to topple over and curl up on the ground as another splash of blood hit the grassy ground.

"Retarded big-mouth know-it-all asshole jerk," Falco continued, yet another blow hitting the already mortally wounded canine. Grabbing the almost unresponsive hybrid's muzzle, Falco growled, "You forgot ugly, lazy, and disrespectful—"

Wes coughed weakly, getting a few drops of blood on the avian keeping his muzzle shut.

"Well, what about you, Wes?" Falco sneered, a self-pleasured smirk creasing his beak.

"Fuck you…" Wes choked out.

"No, Wes, what about _you_?" Falco repeated tauntingly.

Again, Wes responded with a weak, "Fuck you."

"NO, WES, WHAT ABOUT YOU!?" he shouted directly in his face.

"Fuck you!" Wes growled, using the last bit of his strength to throw a punch, only for Falco to grab his head and violently twist it to the side, an echoing snap coursing through the jungle. The now lifeless form of Wes fell flat on his back, still as a rock.

Falco groaned and sat back down, beginning to rub at his injured areas while a predominant smile remained on his beak.

"I'm getting too old for this shit."

* * *

This time around, Krystal threw all caution to the wind. As she was armed and Sheila wasn't, the azure vixen clearly held the advantage. It was the hunter against hunted once again.

Once the riverbank came into view, Krystal slowed to a halt. She scanned the trees that stood between her and the shore, but found no sign of Sheila. Either the canine was crossing the shallow river, risking getting shot out in the open, or she was moving along the bank to escape either north or south. Then again, she could have been waiting to...

A coppery-colored blur pounced on Krystal from behind the trunk of a large tree. Sheila latched onto Krystal's blaster with one hand, forcing it into the air and away from herself. With the gun out of her face, the husky bit down on Krystal's exposed arm, causing the Cerinian to scream and let go of the blaster. Shuffling her feet, Sheila kicked the gun away and continued wrestling with Krystal. The husky delivered a lower jab with her right arm into Krystal's exposed midriff, eliciting a sharp gasp from the vixen and making her stumble backwards. Her hind paw slipped on the edge of the river bank, alerting Krystal to the presence of the water behind her.

Sheila didn't stop there. She continued the assault, dashing forward with the force of a steam engine and tackling Krystal over the edge of the bank. The two canids fell as one into the shallow river, each struggling for dominance over the other. In the end, Krystal managed to come out on top, ignoring the bleeding teeth marks in her wrist. When the two had settled, Krystal was sitting atop Sheila's stomach, pinning her to the bottom of the stream bed. Though the river was shallow, it was all Sheila could do to keep her head above water in that position. Her neck ached as she struggled to keep her head up, and her arms and legs were occupied trying to push herself out from under the enraged vixen.

Raising her arm back, Krystal dealt the canine a hefty blow to the jaw. Sheila's head swung sideways and into the river, but it emerged seconds later spraying water into Krystal's face. The vixen recoiled, growling in disgust.

"Fuck you too, Sheila," Krystal spat back. She planted another punch in Sheila's adorable face. "You know, I can't believe it came to this..." Krystal repeatedly paused mid-sentence to deliver another blow in a long series. "We've known each other for awhile..." Sheila's face flew to the right. "Worked on several missions together..." To the left. "And we even had something going today, too."

With a crunch, Krystal's fist smashed into Sheila's face, breaking her nose and sending a spray of blood into the rushing water.

"Krystal, no, you're—" Sheila choked out before her head sank back into the water.

"But you threw all that away, didn't you?" As soon as the husky's head broke through to the surface, Krystal slammed her other fist into it, sending it back below. "Pow! Just like that. And for what? A dinky little treasure some mad emperor left behind. Well today you tried to kill me, and today you went too fuckin' far. You know how shallow you are for doing a thing like that, Sheila? Shallower than this goddamn stream, that's for sure. A real pity, too. You know why? Cause if this stream weren't just a bit shallower, I wouldn't be able to drown you in it, now would I?"

"K-Krystal—" Sheila croaked, latching onto the vixen's arms with an iron-tight grip.

A blood red curtain seemed to drop over Krystal's vision. "What would happen, huh? What would happen if you were to drown right now? This instant?" Following through, she forced Sheila's head beneath the water. "I'd be down one rival, right? No biggie. One less person to worry about crawling up my ass. I'm better off without you, Sheila!"

The husky thrashed in the water, but Krystal still did not let up. "Go on, She, tell me one altruistic thing you've done for me. Just_ one_ thing. Nope. Nothin'. This whole little joint operation thing where you rescued us was always about that reward, wasn't it? I bet you even made up that whole "alien contact" spiel as a scheme so we'd think you weren't after the treasure. Goddamn, you're an even bigger bitch than Scarlet, you know!? Only someone with your persona would take it as a_ compliment!_"

Sheila's movements grew weaker and sluggish.

"You asked for this, Sheila—not me. You want to drown? Fine. See if I care. See if I give one solitary fuck!"

The canine's grip on her arms suddenly loosened, and her paws fell loosely into the water. She stopped struggling completely. Her body fell limp.

Panting from exertion, Krystal let go of Sheila's neck. The veil of red lifted from her eyes, and she once again saw her surroundings with a clear vision. "Sh-Sh-Sheila?" she asked.

The husky's body hung lazily in the stream bed.

"Sheila?" Krystal whimpered.

Getting no response, she threw herself off her friend, stumbling away from her opponent until she had backed up against the small dirt cliff that dropped into the river. Feeling for roots and vines behind her, she climbed out of the river backwards, her eyes not leaving the canine's still body.

"What did you do...?"

Krystal gasped and turned to see Scarlet standing a few yards down the bank. She followed the vixen's eyes back to Sheila's lifeless body.

"What did you DO!? You bitch!"

In an instant, Scarlet had flung herself at Krystal, claws extended. She alternated tearing at the Cerinian's face and pummeling her with physical blows. For a few seconds, Krystal was taken aback by the onslaught, but momentarily she regained her wits... and the red curtain with them. She lashed out at the vixen, deflecting some of her blows at first before striking some of her own.

Scarlet still had the upper hand; she shoved Krystal backwards, causing the Cerinian to stumble away. Her foot caught on a tangled root, a fact not lost on Scarlet. Seizing the opportunity, she brought her boot slamming down on the vixen's ankle.

A resounding_ crack_ echoed through the forest, followed by Krystal's sharp cry of pain. Ignoring the stinging sensation in her ankle, Krystal used her free leg to sweep Scarlet off her feet. The bounty-huntress landed on the ground right beside her, but Krystal rolled away and scrambled to her feet. Her newly broken ankle screamed in protest as she limped away, but she kept at it and brushed the pain off.

Neither of the two vixens had any weapons beside their fists and claws, and there was no way Krystal would win in a physical fight—not with her busted ankle. Her only hope was to find either Falco or even Phoenix. At least one of them probably still possessed a loaded firearm, though if Wes and Vince had been victorious, she was_ done for._ Unless...

Krystal felt around on her belt. Good: she still had one left.

Halting at the top of the incline, she turned just in time to meet Scarlet head-on. The woman sprang upon her, snarling like a wild beast as she grappled with her rival vixen. Krystal struggled for balance, accepting some of the blows while she used her other hand to slip her last grenade from her belt. She activated it, and the same high-pitched beeping noise punctuated the air once again. With only seconds before detonation, she shoved Scarlet down one side of the incline, tossing the grenade her way as well. Krystal dove down the opposite side of the small hill, rolling until she came to a stop at its base.

_**BOOM**_

The resulting explosion shook the treetops, scattering flocks of wild birds into the air.

Lowering her arms from around her head, Krystal looked up the side of the mound. A black trail of smoke began to rise up, and a haunting orange glow illuminated the tree trunks. With her last amount of strength, Krystal crawled up the side of the hill, dragging her awkwardly-twisted ankle behind her. Once she arrived at the top, she propped herself up on her elbows and looked down the other side.

What was left of Scarlet lay smoldering at the bottom of the incline.

As if the heavens intentionally tried to correlate their weather with Krystal's mood, the once fluffy white clouds dotting the sky above started darkening and meshing together. As Krystal backed away from the hill, she dragged her tail against the ground and used her paws for movement until she finally found a tree she could lean up against. With a horrified expression resulting from the red curtain fading away once again, and finally being slapped in the face with regret about killing two of her closest friends, Krystal started whimpering. As soon as she did, a drop of rain fell on the tip of her nose, startling her somewhat.

The adrenaline started to fade, replaced by the immense pain of all of her muscles, joints, and appendages simultaneously screaming in protest. Her ankle, evidently shattered, felt like a bomb had gone off under her skin. Her arms and legs ached from exertion. Her entire torso stung and throbbed with the unrelenting hell it had been put through. To top it all off, her heart ached with the first feeling of regret she had felt in a long time.

As the rain began to pick up in intensity, impacting the wide jungle canopy with a loud, resounding slap, another sound was picked up by the vixen's ears. It sounded like footsteps.

"Ph-Ph-Phoenix?" she called out pitifully, not even realizing that was the first name that popped into her head and out of her teeth. The sound of crunching leaves and twigs progressively became louder, until she could decipher that the sound was originating from her left. She looked over… and froze.

It was Vince. With a handgun pointed directly between her eyes.

"You killed her…" Vince choked out, visibly trembling. Completely soaked with rainwater, the arctic fox took a small step forwards. "You killed them. Sheila. Scarlet."

"I didn't want to," Krystal growled.

"I don't believe that for a second," Vince stated, stepping closer and closer. Krystal attempted to reach for a weapon, but not only did her arms protest the thought entirely, but she soon realized she was empty and completely vulnerable.

A click sounded from Vince's weapon. "I should've known you'd cross us like that."

"Do you really think I wanted to?" Krystal whimpered. "They were my friends!"

"And yet you can stab them in the back _that_ easily," Vince shook his head. "To think Fox sacrificed himself for you. I'm shocked. Just ask yourself one thing; If he were here with you _now… _would he take the bullet for you like he did then?"

Vince raised the weapon up, and the realization that Krystal was literally staring death in the face hit her hard. Krystal gasped and let a few tears form in her eyes as she watched the shaking weapon inch closer to her.

"I'm sorry, but you're too dangerous," Vince choked out. "Fox would hate me for doing this, but at least you can finally see him again."

_**BANG**_

Krystal cringed when the harsh sound of the gun's discharge made it to her ears, and let out a hoarse scream when she felt a warm splatter coat her face. Yet, she didn't feel her world grow dark. In fact, all she felt was the ground around her shake, as if something heavy toppled over. Hesitantly, she opened up one of her eyes, only to see Vince lying on his side with a clean hole in his temple. Crimson blood flowed from the opening, intermixing with the rainwater as it seeped across his face and over his unresponsive eyes.

Krystal jerked her head over to see Phoenix standing with a silver handgun—straight-armed at where the arctic fox had been standing. As soon as the smoke faded away from the barrel of the weapon, the vulpine let it fall to the ground.

"Phoenix…" Krystal whispered softly, almost inaudible due to the sound of the pelting rain. The auburn vulpine only took a few steps before he fell to his knees, sobbing loudly. Krystal could see the anguish and regret he had as he bawled his eyes out, so much so that she felt her own heart start to melt at his lost innocence. With the last ounce of strength she possessed, she lifted herself up to her feet, and with great difficulty she limped over to him.

As soon as she got to him, Phoenix lunged upwards and hugged her tightly, disregarding any potential injuries she might have gotten. Krystal recoiled slightly, but eventually saw that Phoenix began crying with a greater intensity as he buried himself into her shoulder. His grief began to rub off on Krystal as she too began to let the tears flow from her eyes. Krystal decided to embrace the other vulpine as well, ignoring her own pain just to bask in the warmth the auburn vulpine gave off. Both of them ignored the pouring rain just to give each other that soothing physical reassurance.

At that moment, Falco stumbled down the hillside, slowing to a stop when he noticed the two foxes embracing. He looked down at his feet, awkwardly shifting between them. Krystal noticed the avian, but gave Phoenix a few more moments of comfort before she let go. The two stumbled away from each other, Krystal favoring her leg while Phoenix tried to subdue his tears. The vixen wiped her own tears from her eyes before speaking.

"So… you managed to come back in one piece. I suppose Wes is…"

Falco nodded somberly before noting Vince's lifeless body on the ground. "And, Scarlet and Sheila… you took care of them?"

Krystal nodded as well, whimpering as she sighed. When Phoenix's teary-eyed gaze wandered to Vince's corpse, he grimaced and turned away.

"How're you two holding up?" Falco pressed. "I got pretty banged up, but I'll be alright 'till we get back to Slippy and the _Great Fox._"

Krystal gestured to her ankle. "I… I think I fractured it. I might slow you down… but may God damn me to hell if I'm not there when you open that vault."

Falco turned to Phoenix, whose back was to the avian. "And you, Phi?"

The tod shook his head, quietly sobbing. After that exchange, the three merely stood in near silence, the harsh rain soaking them to the bone.

Falco raised his head and stared off across the river, towards the gate embedded in the cliffside. Sighing wearily, he stepped forward and touched Krystal's shoulder.

"Hey, look, we need to get moving. Our stuff's at the top of the hill, but if we want to make it to the base before anyone else…"

Without answering, Krystal shrugged his wing off and began hobbling towards the shallow river. Falco glanced at the ownerless handgun lying on the ground, then bent to pick it up. Straightening up, he rounded Phoenix and held out the gun to him.

"Phoenix…"

The vulpine didn't respond. He just stood there, sniffling.

Glaring at him, Falco grabbed his paws and slapped the silver pistol into them. "Whether you're coming or not, we're leaving."

He spun on his heel, marching after Krystal and disappearing behind the trees.

Phoenix raised his head slowly, staring at the gun in his paws. His hands trembled, and the weapon rattled in their loose grasp. Tears continued to pour from his eyes, and a few sobs escaped his muzzle… but eventually, he closed his hands tightly around the gun. So tight, in fact, that his knuckles turned white and the weapon shook even more. He clenched his teeth, glaring at the instrument that had taken Vince's life—the instrument _he _had used.

Sparing his fallen friend one last look, he set out in Falco and Krystal's footsteps.

* * *

With the Hunting Party gone, the jungle descended into a peaceful, yet tense silence. Overhead, above the leafy treetops, the clouds converged to a broiling sea, growing darker with each passing minute. Fortuna was cast into shadow.

The rain began to increase as well. The pounding downpour buffeted the forest canopy, still managing to drench the jungle floor with rain. A flash of light, followed by a resounding roar. The silence was disturbed every few minutes by a peal of thunder, punctuating the constant drumming of the rain.

The ground became soaked; rivulets of water began to flow down the incline, swelling the shallow river at its base to a larger size. Scattered over both sides of the hill, the still bodies of Wes, Vince, Sheila, and Scarlet lay, now drenched in water. Tiny droplets began to collect on their exposed fur and dirty clothes, eventually amassing into damp spots and small pools. None of the fallen mercenaries moved—not even a whiff of breath or a faint twitch.

Above the sound of falling rain, and in between the peals of thunder, the humming of powerful engines rose. A military shuttle descended from the sky, materializing out of the clouds as if it were a phantom ship. The shuttle slowed to a hovering position above the swollen stream—the only available place for a landing—then extended its stabilizing legs and touched down into the river. An electric blue letter G was printed on the dropship's hull, flanked on either side by two arrows.

With a hiss, the dropship's side panels opened, peeling away to reveal the cargo bay of the ship. With a quick splash, a lone figure jumped out, landing in the ankle-deep stream. It was a vulpine; dark-red-furred and wrapped in a long, black dress coat. For a second, he paused in the flowing water and gazed up at the clouded sky obscured by the forest canopy. Then, he tilted his head back down and removed his glasses, drying them on his coat sleeve.

Moments later, a similarly-clad arctic fox jumped out after him, trailing him until they both stood on the river bank. Several agents soon followed, though they kept their distance.

The white-furred vulpine set his paw on the leader's shoulder. "Felix... we must move quickly. They'll be here any minute; our scanners already picked up their signals."

Stoically, Felix nodded. He turned to the rest of his operatives, who were more or less patiently awaiting his orders.

"Spread out; search the hillside. Ms. Altruis' signal went dead around this area. If you find her, call the others... and me."

The agents did his bidding, scattering across the jungle hillside and scouring the shrubbery and forest floor for any signs of lifeforms.

Felix set out as well, taking a different path than his operatives, though his bodyguard faithfully followed several steps behind.

The more the vulpine saw of the jungle, the more his frown grew. Soon, worry began to permeate his features, accompanying the growing dread of finding what he was looking for still and on the ground. Charred streaks and smoldering holes marred the surfaces of several tree trunks, indicating a firefight had taken place in their immediate area. For some reason, antiquated bullets lay embedded in the trees as well.

Hanson paused, noticing a body lying on the ground. He stopped trailing his employer, kneeling down to take a closer look. He gently flipped the body over, exposing the victim's face. A blaster wound in the center of his head. An arctic fox—just like himself. It sent a chill up and down his spine.

_"Vincenzo here,"_ Felix's radio hissed, though the owner of the other transmitter stood only a hundred feet away._ "We found a body in the water... it's a woman..."_

Felix's heart jumped into his throat after Vincenzo paused.

_"...Nope, just a husky. Pity. She__'d sure be a looker... if her face wasn't smashed in.__"_

Felix slid to a stop on a pile of dead leaves; he had just noticed a large trail of smoke rising from the other side of a small embankment. His heart-rate beginning to escalate, the vulpine threw himself through the foliage until he had climbed the small mound, arriving at the source of the fumes.

He froze for a few seconds, stomach sinking within him.

Finally, he choked out, "Hanson... Hanson, come quick!"

The arctic fox sprinted over to his side, stopping as well when he saw the object of his employer's horror. He raised his wrist comm to his muzzle.

"We found her. Bring a stretcher to our location... and a tarp."

Felix fell to his knees beside the bloody, smoldering corpse of what used to be Scarlet Altruis. A series of tears slid down his face, revealing the true emotion behind his usually stoic countenance. Staring at the vixen's mangled body, he whispered, "I never should have accepted this deal, Hanson..."

In response, Hanson lowered his head. "Sir, I ordered the stretcher here... but I'm afraid there's nothing we can do for—"

"No!" Felix spat, slamming his clenched fist into a puddle of water. "I-I can fix this. I know a doctor—he's skilled in all manner of prosthetics. I can bring her back. I can fix this..."

A group of his employees arrived at his side, gently moving him out of the way as they gathered what was left of the vixen's body. They carefully wrapped her charred remains in the tarp, then carried them on the stretcher back to the shuttle.

Raising his glasses, Felix sniffed and wiped his eyes with his sleeve—but only succeeded in replacing the tears with rainwater.

"Felix, we must go..."

The red-furred vulpine accepted Hanson's outstretched paw, allowing his head of security to help him up and lead him back to the ship. Once aboard, they grasped the overhead bars to steady themselves, preparing for the inevitable takeoff of the shuttle. Crestfallen, Felix stared out over the jungle landscape to avoid looking at the body-sized tarp behind him.

"Immunity isn't worth this," he sighed. "Nothing is."

"She knew too much," Hanson grunted. "She was a liability to the Gaia Corporation."

Felix narrowed his eyes and stared Hanson down. "And what if they had wanted _you_ dead?"

The security chief had no answer.

The dropship's engines roared to life, and the landing gear folded inwards, causing the ship to buckle for a moment. Then, the hangar doors closed as the shuttle rose into the sky—above the foliage, treetops, cliffs, and clouds.

Once again, the jungle was left still. The somber rain continued to pour and soak the muddy earth, the lightning flashed and boomed, and—across the valley next to the cliff side—gunshots began to sound.

* * *

**Elarix's A/N: *Rubs lamp* Genie, with my third wish, I set you free! Seriously, though, Sheppard's been a great help with this entire arc, and it's been super fun writing it with him. I think we really set the bar high for humor on the SF archive… though we've got good competition now…**

**All good things must come to an end, however. No, not this story; don't get your hopes up. Just Sheppard's role in it. I've really eaten up his time with this project, and it's more than enough reward for winning that contest thingy. I'll miss workin' with ya, bud.**

**Sheppard's A/N: Huge thanks to Elarix for letting me jump on this amazing project, but now that all of my beloved characters are dead, I'm getting out while I still have a shred of sanity. My work here is done. *drops mic***

* * *

_A lesson, I give you all I had to give  
__You wasted so many years of innocence  
__You burned the bridges, severed the ties  
__Betrayal within, now I say my goodbyes_

_Goodbye my friend  
__How did it end inside this living hell we're in  
__Goodbye my friend  
__Where do we go from here  
__I wish you well my friend_

_A lesson, I've been down this road before  
__You wasted another chance to be something more  
__Walking in misery, your trail of lies  
__Has come to end, now I say my goodbyes_

_Goodbye my friend  
__Why did it end  
__Goodbye my friend  
__Why did it end  
__Goodbye my friend  
__Where do we go from here  
__I wish you well my friend_

_*Pop Evil — Goodbye My Friend*_


	20. True Chainz Part 5

On the other side of the river, Phoenix caught up to Falco and Krystal. The falcon turned around to face him, acknowledging his presence while also noting the gun in his hands. He nodded towards Krystal, who was having difficulty walking—especially through the unforgiving jungle landscape. It was the only reason Phoenix had managed to catch up with them to begin with; Krystal's shattered ankle had slowed the pair down.

Wordlessly, Phoenix ran to Krystal's side and looped an arm around her shoulders, helping her walk. While Krystal also said nothing, she seemed to sigh deeply and shifted as much of her weight onto Phoenix as she could. Together, they trailed after Falco, who continued through the forest with handgun at the ready, sniper rifle hung across his back.

Within the next few minutes, they broke out of the thickly nestled trees and into what appeared to be an ancient monument of sorts. The carpet of dead leaves gave way to a stone brick floor about a hundred feet across. Surrounding the open space on all sides were columns of rock hewn from the same material that made up the silvery cliffs. This was the location of the base; across the stone floor from them was a large pair of steel gates, set into the cliff side. It was apparent to the teammates that Andross had chosen its location based on the historical flare of the surrounding area, and nothing more.

Phoenix gingerly helped Krystal walk across the open plain, staggering like two drunk friends after a rough party. Falco rushed on ahead, keeping a wary eye out. At this point in their journey, they were the most vulnerable and likely to be attacked. The ruins provided the perfect location for an ambush, and the base was the final destination for every single bounty hunter and mercenary outfit on the planet.

Soaked in the pouring rain, Phoenix and Krystal slowed to a halt behind Falco. The avian had stopped in front of the gates, looking at them worriedly.

"What's wrong?" Krystal managed to ask, gasping for breath.

Falco gestured with his handgun. "Look. It's already been opened."

Sure enough, a thick gap existed between the twin metal plates that formed the gate—a wide vertical stripe that gave way to shadow.

"No," Krystal whispered, desperation in her voice. With Phoenix's help, she hobbled over to the empty column in the open gates, peering inside.

"Someone's definitely already been here," Falco continued. He stepped over to the outside edge of the gate, locating the control panel. Holstering his pistol, he examined the electrical board. A steel plate beneath it had been opened, and was hanging precariously from a single screw, exposing an array of wires, several of which were clipped and respliced together. If the base had still been in operation, any Venomians within would have been immediately notified of a break in attempt, but that wasn't the case.

"It's been hacked into... pretty thorough job, too. But... it seems too easy."

"Any sign of who beat us?" Krystal asked, huffing for breath.

"I don't know," Falco admitted. "...Wait." He stared closely at the control panel, then pinched a small tuft of fur with his fingers and brought it up to his falcon eyes. It was jet black. "I think I know who was here... but it can't be. She never even leaves a trace when she does a job."

"Black Mamba?" Krystal guessed.

Falco nodded, flicking the tuft of hair from his fingers. "Has to be. She's the only one skilled enough to beat us here."

"Is she the panther assassin you pointed out from Sargasso?" Phoenix asked.

"One and the same," Krystal sighed, leaning against the gate and giving the vulpine a moment of rest. "Best assassin in the System. Even I'm a bit scared of her. Never talks, that one. It's like she's always planning how to kill everyone she looks at, yet it's near impossible to get inside her head to know for sure."

"Still, it's strange that she'd make a slip up like this," Falco continued. "She must have been in a big hurry to get out of that base and lock it behind her; she left some loose fur on the control panel while trying to shut it again. Whatever the treasure was, it must have been small, or it would have taken her longer to carry it out."

"Yeah, or maybe it was too big for her to take it all at once," Krystal said hopefully, almost drooling from anticipation.

"We can't waste any more time," Falco stated, turning to face both Krystal and Phoenix. "I'll wait out here—give you some cover from the other side of the ruins in case anyone else shows up to claim the treasure. Phoenix, you help Krystal into the base. Scout it out, and contact Meinhard like we're supposed to."

"You're forgetting," Krystal sighed, "We lost our wrist comms."

Falco frowned. "Oh." After thinking for a second, he slipped off his own communication device and handed it to Phoenix. "Here, you better take mine. Use it to call Meinhard."

"And how will you warn us if anyone else shows up?" Krystal asked.

"Well, just listen for gunfire. You'll know something's up. Sound good?"

"Sounds great," Krystal sighed, obviously exhausted from their exploits of the past two days. After Falco unslung his sniper rifle from his back and turned to find a hiding place, Phoenix offered Krystal his support. She gratefully accepted, and they turned to hobble through the gate.

* * *

Except for the outdoor light shining in from the gap between the doors, the interior of the base was pitch black. While supporting Krystal with one arm, Phoenix raised his other and slipped off Falco's wrist comm. Holding it in his paw, he activated the device's flashlight feature, emitting a faint beam of white light into the recesses of the base. If the Neo-Androssians hadn't taken their equipment when they captured them, they would have been able to use actual flashlights instead. For now, however, they had to settle for what little light they could muster.

As Phoenix swept the beam of light around the room, he gradually revealed the base's interior. It appeared to be a large hangar carved into the cliffs. Pieces of loose machinery and metal scraps littered the floor at their feet. Though the hangar was mostly devoid of aircraft and vehicles, a lone granga fighter lay in one corner in a horrible state of disrepair.

Though he himself was weary from the events of the past two days, Phoenix was more than happy to lend Krystal his support. Somehow, he figured both of them found some comfort in their mutual touch, and they needed it after losing so many friends. They only had each other at the moment, and the promised reward of the base.

"Hey," Krystal whispered in his ear, "You better call Slippy now."

"Sure," Phoenix grunted, letting go of Krystal for a moment to contact the _Great Fox _on Falco's wrist comm. "Slippy, this is Phoenix. Do you here me?"

At first there was no answer, but eventually their teammate responded. _"Phoenix, is that you? Why do you have Falco's unit? Is everything okay!? You gotta give me more updates, man!"_

"Look, sorry we didn't contact you sooner, Slip. We ran into some trouble down here. First we crossed paths with Scarlet, then with some Neo-Androssians who stole our comms and equipment, then with... some others... but we're fine now. Falco and Krystal are both okay, though Krystal busted her foot or ankle. We're in the base now."

_"Oh, great! Did you find the goods?"_

"No, we just got in. Can you bring the _Great Fox _to our location and patch us into Meinhard?" Phoenix's voice echoed through the hollow hangar as he spoke.

_"Sure thing, Phi. I'll try to be there within the next half hour. I'll establish a connection with Meinhard for ya. Hope you __find__ the moneys!"_

There was an audible click as Slippy patched them into Meinhard's communications line, though the wealthy aristocrat didn't pick up immediately. Phoenix wrapped an arm beneath Krystal's shoulders while she slung an arm around his neck, and the two vulpines continued deeper into the hangar. The large room was deathly silent except for the static buzz Falco's wrist comm emitted.

Eventually, they came upon a hallway at the far end of the hangar, which Phoenix identified with their makeshift flashlight. He swept the beam from one side of the entrance way to the other, but gasped when the light fell upon a slumped form there. "Krystal, look!"

"What?" Krystal followed the dim ray of light to the object of Phoenix's fright, then immediately caught her breath. As the static continued buzzing, they both stared at a body that lay propped up against the door frame. The species was impossible to make out, though given the make of his tattered uniform, the corpse was probably a Venomian. The body had been decomposing for a long time; yellowed bones were visible beneath rotting skin and clumps of brown fur. Hollowed eyes gazed from the sockets in the animal's head, and its jaw was frozen open in a silent scream.

The light shook in Phoenix's paw, but he kept it focused on the lifeless figure. "Holy shit, Krystal, why is this here!?"

Regaining her composure, Krystal said, "Relax, Phoenix. That body is years old, probably from the Lylat Wars, even. You were still in the third grade when this poor bastard bit the dust." She let out a pathetic laugh. "Knowing the Venomians, I bet he tried sneaking away with some of the treasure and was shot by his superior officers. I wouldn't blame him, though. Imagine having to leave all of this wealth here, not knowing when you'll be able to reclaim it... or if any thieves like us would steal it before then."

Krystal had Phoenix walk her forwards, and she bent over the corpse. "Huh, looks like he got stabbed in the chest by a blade. Probably one of those lizard's fancy swords, I bet. Now _that _would have been a sight to see."

Finally, the static from the wrist comm stopped, replaced by a hoarse feline voice. _"Hello? Hunting Party?"_

"Th-this is Phoenix," the tod stuttered, unable to tear his eyes away from the gaping hole in the corpse's chest. "We're in."

_"Splendid. I was hoping you'd make it."_

While the two foxes skirted the body and began walking down the hallway, Phoenix asked, "What do you mean? Was there any chance we wouldn't?"

_"The jungles of an unexplored planet hold many unexpected dangers. __Really, I'm__ just pleased you didn't catch malaria or get bitten by anything poisonous along the way."_

Krystal growled, "Look Meinhard, you've got some explaining to do. Your intel on our last mission was pretty shitty, but this takes the cake. Once we landed on the surface, we found out there were at least..." She trailed off, counting in her head. "_Six_ other outfits looking for the treasure as well. Plus, we had to fight our way through half of them to get here!"

On his end of the line, Meinhard sighed. _"You know, it's not easy losing your daughter. Especially not after losing your wife as well. __Forgive me, but... her death has been weighing heavily on my shoulders."_

Krystal looked confused. "Meinhard, I said _explain _what all those other groups were doing here."

But the Siberian cat payed them no attention. _"I wonder if this is how Corneria felt, after losing so many troops at Sargasso. You remember it, right? Of course you were there. I heard that every bounty-hunter, criminal, and outlaw was. You saw how soundly the Cornerian army was defeated—probably had a hand in it, too. __So, after losing so many troops, you can imagine how furious Corneria and that General Pepper fellow were__. __Must have thrown a fit."_

"Mr. Meinhard, focus, please," Phoenix pleaded with him.

_"__It was clear they would never defeat your kind with sheer numbers—not with you all united, at least. No, Pepper and his advisers had to get creative. __They had to split you up... and turn you against each other."_

At this point, Meinhard's words struck a chord within Phoenix and Krystal. Their employer was hitting a little too close to home.

"What the hell are you talking about, Meinhard!?" Krystal shouted, her voice booming through the abandoned base.

The feline's voice faded out, replaced by the sound of liquid spilling into a glass. An audible sip. Swallowing. The glass clinked against a table.

_"You fools."_

At Meinhard's sudden change of tone, Phoenix and Krystal slowed to a halt, now standing in a new room at the end of the hallway.

_"__Who knew your disgusting greed would lead you to this place, hmm? Greed is the weakness of all of your kind, and Pepper knew it. When he contacted myself and so many other employers, we were at first skeptical of his plan, but he was persuasive. We all had our vendettas, we all had our unwanted handymen, our liabilities and enemies. Corneria simply gave us an opportunity to get rid of them—_you_. And, by the looks of it, it worked perfectly."_

Here the Siberian cat burst out laughing. _"Think about it! Fortuna is now _littered_ with corpses! A fitting graveyard for you filthy scum. By simply playing to your __individual __weakness__es__ and setting you all against each other, we did what a head-on assault of Sargasso could never do! Corneria has had it's revenge, Hunting Party, and you've been it's unwitting pawns."_

"_You _set this all up!?" Krystal screeched, grabbing Phoenix's wrist comm and bringing it closer to her mouth. "That's all it was, just one big trick!?"

_"You have no one to blame but yourself," _Meinhard chuckled. _"You turned on your fellow bounty hunters, maybe even those you would call "friends". Corneria has already confirmed the deaths of hundreds of Androssians and Titanian rebels, left behind in you trail of blood. The lengths your kind will go to to sate their greed astounds me."_

"Meinhard, why!?" Phoenix whimpered. "Why are you doing this? I thought... I thought we had an understanding."

_"Oh, we certainly have an understanding. I understand perfectly how you took the life of my daughter just so _you _could live in her stead!"_

Krystal froze, her claws sinking into Phoenix's shoulder like daggers. "You... _told him?"_

Phoenix scrambled for words. "Krystal, I-I—"

_"__Oh he told me everything; how you sucked the blood from my precious daughter like vampires so you could continue living and robbing and murdering!"_

"You told him?" Krystal repeated in disbelief. "You fucking _told_ him! We gave you _one _order, Phoenix, and that was _not _to tell him! And now because you fucked up it's all come back to bite us in the ass!"

"Mr. Meinhard, please!" Phoenix begged, talking in a fast, high-pitched tone. "We had nothing to do with your daughter's death! The Cornerians were the ones who infected her in the first place!"

_"Yet you were the ones who unfroze her and drained the life from her veins."_

"If I hadn't taken her blood, both of us would have died! We would have frozen to death out there! And she wanted me to do it, I swear!"

"I can't believe you, Phoenix!" Krystal exclaimed, pushing herself off of his shoulder and staggering away. "You think you're just Mr. Nice Guy, don't you, Phoenix!? Well I've got news for you; that act doesn't work out here! When am I going to drill that into your fucking head!?"

"I-I'm sorry, Krystal, I didn't know it would end up like this!" Phoenix began to sob, new tears pouring from his eyes.

_"You _didn't think it would end like this!?" Krystal mocked him. "_I _didn't think I'd end up killing almost every single friend I have for a treasure that doesn't even exist!"

_"Treasure?" _Meinhard asked. _"Oh, yes, the reward. Don't worry; you'll get your reward soon enough. There is only one way to repay greed and selfishness, M__iss__ Krystal. And that... is _this _way..."_

The comms device cut back to static.

"Ugh! That cunt..." Krystal swatted the wrist comm from Phoenix's hands, causing it to clatter onto the floor and slide away. Phoenix fell to his hands and knees, sniffing as he crawled after the device. Finally picking the communicator back up, the beam of light it emitted fell across another mound on the floor.

Phoenix gasped and sprang to his feet, nearly dropping the light again. Holding it as steady as he could, he directed the beam at the mound on the floor, identifying another long-deceased Venomian soldier. But that wasn't the last. As Phoenix raised the light higher up, the two vulpine's jaws slowly dropped.

Before them was heaped a mound of bodies that stretched higher than Phoenix was tall. Unlike the first corpse they had found, these had been shredded and torn to bits, with dried limbs, torsos, and heads piled atop each other. Various bones and decomposing body parts lay scattered about the floor near the base of the pile.

Some of the bodies at the top, however, weren't old.

"What the..." Phoenix whimpered, staggering back into Krystal. The vixen caught him, then guided his hand around, aiming the light around the rest of the room. While no other mounds of bodies littered the room, scraps of rotting flesh and bone still spotted the floor.

In front of them, however, was a large ledge that rose to Phoenix's chest in height. The shelf stretched to the left and right of the two vulpines, farther than the faint beam of their light could reach. All along its edge, computer screens, control panels, and intricate arrays of knobs and dials were placed. Reinforced glass ran the length of the container atop the shelf, though webs of cracks were disturbingly present. Further down the ledge, broken shards of glass were strewn about.

"What the hell is this!" Phoenix exclaimed in a high-pitched voice. Krystal ignored him for the moment, instead removing the tracking device from her satchel. Just like before, it continued pulsating, though the indicator needle seemed confused.

_Beep beep... beep beep... beep beep..._

Realization suddenly struck Krystal like a baseball bat. She stumbled backwards, dropping the tracking device on the floor. "Those aren't ambient radio signals..." she breathed almost silently.

Phoenix turned around, shining the light carelessly at their feet. "W-what?"

Krystal fixed him with fearful eyes. "That's a heartbeat."

As the realization began to sink into Phoenix as well, the vulpine felt his heart rate spike. He clutched at his shirt with trembling paws, wringing the material as he felt a panic attack coming on. "No... no, this is too messed up it doesn't make any sense why would they do this why would any of this be true—"

At first, Krystal shared in Phoenix's terror, but as she watched the vulpine melt down right in front of her, she slowly regained her usual courage. Reining in her own fear, she scowled and dealt her teammate a swift slap across the face. "Phoenix! Get a hold of yourself! It's not the end of the world!"

But as Phoenix broke off, a disconcerting sound echoed down the corridor and into their room. At first it was barely audible, bet it progressively became louder, as if it were slowly moving towards them; the sound of a thousand solid objects drumming against stone, collectively sounding like a machine gun or a looping roll of thunder. Accompanying the drumming were what sounded like mechanical clicks—insectoid, even. They came at a much more erratic and thinly spread pace than the continuous pounding. Yet, instead of closing in on them from one single source, the noise seemed to spread all throughout the base, traveling along either the walls, floor, or ceiling—perhaps all three.

"It's t-trapped us in here!" Phoenix stammered, grabbing Krystal's shoulder. While the sound initially started down the hallway, it began to circle around their position, coming at them from the left. It was in the same room as them, yet everywhere else in the base at once.

"Phoenix, help me!" Krystal cried, leaning on him for support once again. "Get me the hell out of here!"

Phoenix needed little more encouragement. The two began hobbling as fast as they could back towards the gate, but it wasn't fast enough for Krystal. Crying out in pain, she began putting pressure on her broken ankle in an effort to go faster.

They left the source of the clicks behind, re-entering the hallway that connected their room with the hangar. The drumming became excessively loud, and when Phoenix took the time to point his light down the hallway, the source of it was finally revealed.

All throughout the hallway skittered thousands of pairs of insectoid legs, each connected to thick brown body segments that were themselves linked together like tank treads. The translucent white legs moved in tandem, clawing into floor, walls, and ceiling as they propelled the snake-like body forward. The head of the abomination wasn't visible; instead, it's long segmented body wove in and out of the connected rooms on either side of the hallway—sometimes even clinging to the ceiling above their heads.

"Oh God," Phoenix squeaked. "Oh God no, no no no no—"

"Just move, Lionheart!" Krystal urged, glancing over their shoulders at the approaching clicking noise.

In response, Phoenix bit his lip and did his best to help Krystal down the infested hallway. The monster's wriggling body crossed through the hallway at three different points; twice across the floor, and a third time across the ceiling between the two. If they were going to make it back outside, the two vulpines would have to brave the hall.

Willing himself to act through his fear, Phoenix brought Krystal to the first section of the creature, until he could feel the breeze its legs created against his ankles. He let Krystal go over first, supporting her as she stepped with her good foot onto the slick brown shells whizzing past. As she placed her weight on the creature, it's body buckled and weaved beneath her foot, causing Krystal to slip, but Phoenix kept a tight hold on her and helped her the rest of the way across. Then, when it came his turn to pass the monster, Phoenix took no chances and leapt over it entirely.

After he had cleared the first section of the monster, Phoenix once again lent Krystal his shoulder and continued on. Just as they were passing beneath the train of segments skittering across the ceiling, the creature's legs lost their grip, causing the rest of the body to drop down. The thick exoskeleton struck both vulpines on their heads, then twisted its body around to claw at their backs with desperate legs as it fell the rest of the way to the floor.

As the writhing legs dug at their backs and calves, Phoenix attempted to jerk Krystal out of their reach, all the time crying, "Fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck!"

When they eventually broke free and arrived at the third section, they came just in time to see the end of the creature slither past; the segments and legs were much smaller at the tail, yet two larger legs dragged behind, each ending in a barbed hook. As soon as the tail end swept past, Krystal and Phoenix threw themselves out of the hallway, running as best they could the rest of the way through the hangar. Once inside the hollow airdock, they followed the white column of light that stretched across the floor to the open gates before them.

* * *

Finally, they broke out of the base's shadowy interior and into the illuminated ruins. The clouds were broiling overhead, pouring down a thick rain onto the moss-covered cobblestones. Phoenix searched the opposite side of the ruins for Falco, but found no sign of him.

"Falco!" the vulpine screamed at the top of his lungs, but the creature was already upon them. Phoenix and Krystal spun around just in time to see the monstrosity spill out of the thin gap between the gates. Long, wispy antennae emerged first, curling back on themselves almost like the ends of a mustache or goat horns. Closely following were several pairs of insectoid joints that appeared to be forcipules; the size and shape of farming sickles, yet made from brown-colored chitin, and dotted with cruel barbs along the inside edges. The rest of the head emerged next, larger than a full-grown Lylatian; with it came the creature's mandibles, clicking in anticipation and constantly chewing at nothing... yet.

The monstrous centipede didn't stop there; it continued spilling out of the gate, leg after jointed leg, constantly groping, pinching, digging into the surrounding rock and earth. Once enough of the over-sized invertebrate had slipped between the steel doors, it stopped a few meters from Phoenix and Krystal, rearing up on its hind segments like a cobra readying to strike.

_Oh shit! No! _Phoenix silently exclaimed to himself. Before the massive centipede made its first attack, he shoved Krystal away from them, then spun around and faced the monster alone. _Oh shit,_ he repeated, coming face to face with the centipede towering over him. Krystal's guns were out of ammo, and her explosives supply was completely used up, leaving the vulpine alone with his small silver-plated handgun. With his broken hand, he wouldn't be able to reload it after the initial clip was emptied.

Screaming unabashedly, Phoenix fired the pistol at the centipede's exposed underside. The bullets splintered the milky white under-segments of the creature, causing a disgusting fluid to spray forth; but besides that, the monster showed no sign of pain.

From behind Krystal grabbed onto his arm, pulling him away from the horrific beast. "Phoenix! Just fucking run!"

"Get away!" Phoenix pleaded, shoving Krystal back and once again placing himself between the giant centipede and the wounded vixen. The monster wasted no time in striking again, lashing out at Phoenix's trembling form as fast as lightning. The tod clenched his eyes shut, screamed, and pulled the trigger. When he opened his eyes again, the monster's head had retreated a few feet, though it showed no sign of the bullet having penetrated its exoskeleton. At least the force of the gun had deflected its first attack.

"Phoenix!" Falco squawked from behind the two vulpines. The avian had finally left his hiding place and was sprinting across the stone surface of the ruins. "Get down!"

As Falco raised his sniper rifle, Phoenix obeyed, ducking just after the monster's head darted after him again. A loud crack echoed through the valley, followed by a dismembered antenna landing at his feet and gushing an unidentifiable fluid.

"Close the gate!" Phoenix yelled back at Falco, stumbling backwards as the centipede prepared to lash out again. Its lone antenna seemed to uncurl and whip about in a desperate frenzy, but eventually it detected Phoenix's presence again. The creature darted forward, attempting to spear Phoenix with its open forcipules, but the vulpine ducked to the side and kicked its head away when it struck the ground. Phoenix continued staggering backwards, all the while matching his pace with Krystal's, who had collapsed on the jungle floor after a new wave of pain from her ankle washed over her.

Falco was nearly to the gate when the centipede tried to strike Phoenix for the fifth time; the monster ducked low before gathering its legs and launching its head forwards, pointed forcipules on a course to skewer Phoenix's gut. Panicking, the vulpine dropped his handgun, then caught the creature's barbed forelegs with his hands. A sticky substance coated the forcipules, a venom that Phoenix guessed would kill him within seconds if it entered his blood stream. Given that his paws were dangerously close to the front leg's spiked hooks, there was a high chance he could be poisoned at any second—yet he kept an iron tight grip on the appendages.

Phoenix wrestled back and forth with the centipede's head, though he was clearly losing the power struggle. The creature was doubtlessly many times stronger than the vulpine, but he shuffled his feet and danced across the stone floor, moving in each direction the monster prepared to throw him before it could. Eventually, the centipede gathered back on its thousands of haunches and pressed down on Phoenix, forcing him onto his back on the solid ground. The creature's scythe-like pincers inched closer and closer to his neck, but a second rifle round discharged, and its remaining antenna flew off its head.

The centipede clicked furiously, drawing away from Phoenix and giving him the chance to scoot back to Krystal's side. The monster swung its head from side to side desperately seeking for Phoenix, but the stumps of its severed antennae wiggled in vain, sensing nothing.

At that moment, Falco reached the gate's control panel, hurriedly working with the exposed wiring. Giving up, he stepped backwards from the panel and fired a third round into the mechanism, tripping the gate's safety precautions and an automatic shutdown of all exits. With a grinding hiss, the two steel doors began sliding towards each other, with the monster's impossibly long body in between.

When the two gate halves started crushing the centipede's segments, the creature drew backwards and gathered up its long winding body into several snake coils. The more the gates cut into its armored hide, the more the centipede writhed in discomfort. With a loud clang, the two halves of the gate met, severing the giant centipede in two. The monster unleashed a new cacophony of clicks, rising up on the crushed segments fixed to the doors until its entire underside was displayed and its head reached the tops of the tall gates. Then, like a giant felled tree, it came crashing down, landing on the stone ground next to Phoenix and Krystal with a powerful thud.

Instinctively, Phoenix threw himself over Krystal's body, shielding her from what remained of the centipede. Though doubtlessly many of its organs were left severed by the gates, the invertebrate continued to writhe and thrash about on the floor of the ruins. Several times, its armored skeleton or wiggling legs knocked against Phoenix's back, but he shut his eyes and latched onto Krystal, continuing to shield her from the horrible monster.

Once the creature's death throes had ended, it flipped over onto its back, legs continuing to twitch and claw at the air feebly.

"Oh God," Phoenix sobbed, still able to feel the centipede's disgusting body against his spine, even though it had settled down several yards away from the two vulpines. Gently, Krystal pushed Phoenix off of herself and tried to rise to her feet. She faltered for a moment, falling back on her seat as her ankle shot a new rush of pain up her leg.

In a moment, Falco was at their sides, gasping for breath himself. "Come on, let's... let's just go! Let's leave already!"

Seated on the floor, Phoenix tiredly nodded in agreement. He struggled to his feet before helping Krystal rise to hers, and the three Hunting Party members took off across the ruins amidst the pouring rain. With the image of the writhing centipede fresh in their minds, the trio ran into the woods as best they could, still imagining it biting at their heels.

* * *

Once they emerged from the other side of the forest, they found themselves at the river that cut through the bottom of the valley. The tree cover gave out at the edge of the river, and a constant barrage of rain pounded its surface. Falco, Phoenix, and Krystal stumbled forwards into the stream bank, all three of whom gasped incessantly for breath.

"Please... tell me what that was," Phoenix panted.

Falco glanced back over his shoulder, but was only met by a forest of thick trees. "Andross... I'm sure of it. He definitely had something to do with whatever that _thing _was."

Though lightning flashed across the sky every few minutes, and thunder rolled over the steep hills and cliffs, a second loud noise began rising in amplitude.

When Phoenix opened his mouth to speak again, Falco extended a finger and hushed him. "Quiet! Do you hear that?"

Phoenix stopped to listen, and with some difficulty he began to isolate the noise from the drenching rain and occasional thunder. The louder the noise became, the more it sounded like...

Engines.

"Something's coming," Falco warned in a low voice. Krystal remained silent, inexplicably hypnotized by her own distorted reflection in the water.

Then, like a swarm of hornets disturbed from their nest, black specks broke free from the sea of storm clouds above them. They descended upon the vast jungle, drawing closer to the surface until they were identifiable as military dropships and fighters.

"It's the Cornerians!" Falco spat.

At this point Krystal finally looked up, aqua eyes widening at the sight of the fleet of ships. Her mouthed dropped open.

"I don't believe this," Falco mumbled. Sprinting off across the shallow river, he yelled back, "Well what are you waiting for? Run!"

Phoenix did as he was told, dashing off after the avian. Once he had caught up, Falco grabbed his wrist comm back, then hailed Slippy. "Slip! Slip, come in!"

_"__What is it!?" _the radio crackled. Slippy obviously sensed the desperation in Falco's voice.

"Slippy, we need you here _now. _The entire Cornerian goddamn army is here, and they're scouring the jungle for bounty-hunters! The rendezvous point has changed; meet us at the top of the hill across from our last location, okay? Across from the ruins. We left some supplies there anyway."

Vulpine and avian soon reached the other side of the river. While Falco continued giving Slippy orders, Phoenix slid to a stop, looking around. Krystal was no longer with them. Turning back, his heart leapt in his stomach. She was still standing where they had left her, frozen in place as she stared up at the falling sky above.

Cupping his hands over his mouth, Phoenix called her name. The vixen didn't answer.

Keeping an eye on the progress of the descending Cornerians, he sprinted back across the water until he was at her side. Grabbing her arm, he jerked her in the direction of the hillside, yet she didn't give an inch. Instead, she continued staring up at the sky, seemingly lost.

Phoenix stopped trying to get her to move, instead focusing on her facial expression. It was then that he understood. The realization had finally struck a chord within the vixen's soul. The realization that she had been had. That she had betrayed and killed her friends. That she had suffered through days of hardships, limping along as best she could, for nothing.

And now, the Cornerian army was descending from the heavens, surrounding them, preparing to pass judgment.

* * *

**Chapter 20: True Chainz**

**Demo Title for**

**Part 5: All for Nothing**


	21. War

**Chapter 21: War**

**So I'm supposed to make a self portrait without using my face**

**...**

**WTF**

* * *

_Beeeeeee__eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee__e_

_Duh duh duh duh da do-do da_

_Duh duh duh duh da do-do da_

_Duh duh duh duh da do-do da_

_ One, two, one-two fuck you!_

* * *

_"__When you think about it, we really are terrible people."_

* * *

**Part 1: The Cave**

The door slid open, and Krystal stepped into the _Great Fox's _brig, followed closely by a nervous Phoenix. The brig was lined with four empty cells along the inside wall, each of which was cordoned off with thick iron bars running from floor to ceiling. A light bulb hung from the ceiling, casting a dim, sickly-colored light over the containment cells. As Krystal and Phoenix walked across the brig, the jail bars and the shadows they cast began to move and criss-cross like skeletal rib cages... or hundreds of marching legs.

Falco paced back and forth in the center of the room, storming in front of a cheep fold-up chair. Seated and bound to the chair with layer upon layer of duck-tape was a uniform-clad canine. The brown-furred boxer sat with his head hung low, almost hiding the blood and bruises that covered his face, but not quite.

Upon hearing Krystal and Phoenix enter the room, Falco dealt the dog one last blow, then turned to meet them both.

"I worked him over for almost an hour, but nothing seemed to get results. You could try reading his mind again, or I could—"

"Leave us." Krystal's voice was deathly low.

Falco wiped the sweat from his face with a wing. "Look, Krystal, you don't have to kill him. We can just drop him off at—"

"I said_ leave us._"

Reluctantly, Falco slipped his flight jacket on over his bare arms before exiting through the door. He stopped, turning to give the vulpines one last look, then closed the door with a hiss behind him.

Krystal hopped up onto a desk beside the prisoner, while Phoenix grabbed another fold-up chair and sat on it across from her. The canine showed no sign of having noticed them. Instead, he kept his head down and his mouth shut.

Krystal drew one of her Berettas from its holster and held it in her palms. She admired the way the dim light from the ceiling reflected off its silver surface, highlighting the Cerinian figures carved into it.

"Phoenix..." the vixen began in a hoarse voice. "Do you believe there are some things children should never see?"

The vulpine gave a slow nod, but said nothing.

"And for adults... do you believe the same rule applies? There are some things we shouldn't see—sights we shouldn't be exposed to?"

"Of course. There's some stuff no one should have to see. Ever."

"Yet it exists all the same," Krystal went on. "It's all around us, every day. You can try your best to avoid it, but you're bound to run into it sooner or later. It's what changes people. What makes them different. It's not your species, where you were born, what religion you follow, what your income is, your social status; it's how much shit you've seen."

"I... I accept that horrible experiences can change people," Phoenix hesitantly admitted. "But you can react to those experiences in very different ways. Ultimately, it's how you let those experiences affect you."

"In my book, nothing's bigger than the yawning gap between the naïve and the scarred—the innocent and the guilty. Once you've seen something, it can't be unseen. Once you do something, it can't be undone. Once she's had her first bit of fun, a girl can never go back to being a virgin. Heh, you're still a virgin, right, Phi?"

Phoenix smirked.

"That first experience you have," Krystal continued, "That first act of blood lust you commit, it's like throwing yourself over the brink into a deep cave. If you've done it once—even a single time—you can never undo it. You can never climb back out of the cave. Steep walls on every side, trapping you in, suffocating you... Once you're inside, what choice do you have? Where do you go? Do you keep trying to climb back out of the pit you fell into, even though you'll never make it? Do you just plop down and sit there, attempting to stay where you are and never go deeper—never to kill or harm again? It's inevitable, though. Something's bound to come along and push you even further down, and you'll just fall into the next hole in the pit. Or..."

She cocked her gun, a loud _click_ echoing through the brig.

"Do you go deeper into the cave? Do you get lost in the maze, hoping to find another way out beneath the stone and bedrock? Will the walls open up to let you breath again? Will you find something at the bottom of the cave? Or will you give up, when the exit is only just around the next bend, or just beneath the next hole? Of course, if the cave is truly bottomless, you're just digging yourself a deeper grave, burying yourself beneath miles upon miles of bedrock, lost behind thousands of twisting passages and tunnels you'll never find your way through again in a million years."

Krystal leaned forwards, staring down the sights of her pistol at the motionless canine.

"Maybe... maybe God has us all on this torturous treadmill sorta thing. Just watching us run for the exit when there is none. At the current pace we're going, we'll never reach the end. We'll never reach the bottom of the cave; the other side of the maze; the top of the infinite staircase. But... if you go fast enough, maybe... just maybe you might reach the end."

Without warning, Krystal flipped the gun in her hand. She tossed it to Phoenix, then drew her second pistol as he caught it.

"Are you ready?" she asked. "Will you follow me further down the cave? We'll see how far it goes, you and I. And if it never ends... we'll go faster and faster, and see how deep we can get before we die. So... will you follow me?"

Phoenix looked up from the gun in his hands. He met Krystal's eyes, and breathed deeply.

"Anywhere."

They raised their guns, aiming at the helpless prisoner.

* * *

**Part 2: The Labyrinth**

He cooked eggs better than you.

She just sat there, looking at him. Plate covered in bacon and eggs. The eggs were cold. The bacon was likewise. The ice in her orange juice had melted. Fork and knife untouched. Just sat there, staring at him. Her mouth frowned, and her piercing aqua eyes wouldn't leave him alone for even a second. Like a hunter looking over her prey, but judging it to be too small for even a mouthful. Defenseless, yet not worth the kill. She didn't want it to be easy. She seemed to want a good fight—a run for her money—but knew she would never find one here.

It was the look of disappointment.

In the kitchen area, Phoenix hovered over the stove, cooking more eggs in an iron skillet... but he could see Krystal's stare out of the corner of his eye. The eggs in the skillet were far past overcooked. They were black. No telling how long it had been that way, or how long Krystal's stare fell on him. But he knew that look. Disappointment.

Phoenix stared back down at the eggs in the skillet, nearly as black as the cast iron itself. The skillet still conducted a good amount of heat, causing what remained of the eggs to burn and pop. He bet if he placed his paw on the skillet he could burn it. He could fry it good. What would it feel like?

* * *

Phoenix's room was nearly pitch dark, except for the faint red glow of his door lock. He lay still in bed, covers pulled down from his chest, half curled in a fetal position. His arms reached across the bed, but it was empty. His fingers closed and grasped at nothing, his arms capturing only air and empty sheets. He wanted to hold Kitty again. She was soft and warm; even in the midst of the chilling snow she felt like a sun. So small and helpless, dependent on him for everything. He had killed for her—killed with his own grasping hands for the very first time. But for some reason, she wasn't there beside him. He had killed for nothing—just empty space in his arms. There was no child to protect, no child to tell him how much he was needed. And he had failed her. In the end, they had both died together on that planet, in that snow, in each others arms. Was he in bed with a zombie—a ghost? Or were they both ghosts who had no business living again? He couldn't feel anything there.

Still, Phoenix's arms grasped for anything. He wanted Krystal. He wanted to hold her and tell her everything was all right. He wanted stop her nightmares, he wanted to shield her from her dreams and pain and everything that continued to haunt her. He wanted to take the nightmares upon himself, and the pain with them. He wanted to hold her and tell her that none of it mattered, and that she didn't have to fight and kill anymore; that it wasn't too late for her to change. That he could be who she wanted him to be. That he could change.

He wanted to save her from everything, yet he was powerless. He was paralyzed in his own bed, frozen, unable to move. And outside the _Great Fox, _a looming presence bore down on the ship. A giant block, immovable and invincible. Faceless, yet composed of everything and everyone. They threatened to crush his teammates and friends, but he couldn't do anything. Why did he have to be so

powerless?

* * *

Krystal lay in her bathtub, up to her midriff in water. It was cold. It had gone cold hours ago. She lay, mouth hanging open, eyes empty, staring at a corner of the bathroom ceiling. It felt like it could go on forever. Mind blank, void of thoughts and feelings, emotions and worries. Alone, as she had been from the day her world fell out from beneath her feet, crumbling into dust, blown away on astral winds.

She couldn't help but wonder what she looked like. She must look disgusting, pitiful. Sick.

* * *

Phoenix awoke in a cold sweat.

At first, he felt frozen in place in his bed. His shirt clung to his chest, an icy cold blanket. He couldn't move.

The room was still dark, black except for the blinking panel next to his cabin's door. The light flickered green every so often, and—to his horror—the door was open. Further down the hallway outside his room, there was a faint blue glow.

A distant, haunting clicking noise echoed down the corridor—a sound that made Phoenix's fur stand on end. There was a monster down there; he knew it. He tried to get up and out of his bed to shut the door, but he couldn't move. He tried to pull his covers over his head, but his arms and hands were frozen in place. Was it his imagination, or were the insect-like sounds getting closer?

A short, white figure appeared in his doorway. Phoenix's eyes flashed to the creature, but his heart rate began to slow again once he realized who it was.

It was only Kitty.

The small feline stood just inside his room, the door lock casting a green light across her white fur and dress every few seconds. She held out her paw.

"Come. Don't you want to see what it is?"

Phoenix tried to shake his head, but his muscles wouldn't obey. Instead, his body rose unbidden, and followed the kitten out of his room. The hallway outside was still lit with the same ghostly blue light, reflecting off the sides of steal pipes and panels. Slowly, Kitty lead him across the corridor and down a flight of stairs into the next set of cabins. With each step the pair took, the monster's clicks became louder, and they could even hear it writhing and crashing about in its compartment.

They halted at the door leading to a room marked "21". Phoenix had never seen the number in the _Great Fox _before.

The beast's tantrum had reached a crescendo, and Phoenix was deathly afraid of what might lay on the other side of the door. He wouldn't know what to do if Kitty...

Kitty looked up at him with curious eyes. "Are you ready?"

"N-no," he managed to choke out.

But the young cat smiled back and took his hand in hers. A stream of warmth flooded from her paw into Phoenix's, reassuring him with her touch. "It's okay. You know what's in there. Just follow me."

Phoenix swallowed as Kitty pressed the button to open the door, and the hatch slid sideways to let them through. He looked around. It was a bedroom—a familiar one, even. A sea of glass lay strewn around the room, but a clear path lead to another door in the wall on the right. It was to this door that Kitty lead him. Was it... a closet? A bathroom?

The pair halted in front of the pitch black rectangle. Phoenix couldn't see inside, but he felt the hot breath of the monster on his face. Its clicks quieted until it merely hissed at him, but the creature still managed to strike fear into his heart.

"You have to make the right choice, Phoenix," Kitty whispered, looking back at him with pleading eyes. "When the time comes, you can't throw it all away."

"What do you mean?" Phoenix stammered.

The monster's head appeared from the bathroom—the head of a centipede, robbed of its antennae. Maneuvering on its countless legs and pressing its face against the door frame, it fixed Phoenix with a single, black eye; an eye he had never noticed before.

The vulpine was overcome with the urge to turn and run, but something about the eye began to hypnotize him. In his current state, the hideous creature could eat him if it wanted to. Kitty looked up again, frowning for once in her lifetime. Then, with her free paw, she reached out and stroked the centipede's shell-encased head—gently, slowly, with a hand as soft as a feather.

"You can't run, Phoenix. You can't give in, either. There's only one right choice... and you must make the choice _alone_."

Phoenix's stomach was filled with bile. He couldn't stand a creature as innocent and pure as Kitty touching a monster as vile as that. Yet she stood between them both, one hand holding Phoenix's, the other paw placed on the monster's oily shell.

She looked back at him again. "It's not too late. You can still change this. You can still turn back."

Finally, Phoenix regained control over his own body. His paw slipped out of Kitty's hand, and he stumbled backwards, shaking his head.

"No, no I can't. I-it's too late. I can't go back. I—"

"You have one foot in each world," Kitty explained, as if it meant something. "You must let go of one. I know what you want for Krystal. But **if you can't change your own life, how will you ever change someone else's?**"

Suddenly, with his last backwards step, his foot met empty air. Phoenix fell backwards, plummeting into an endless pit, the walls of which rose up all around him for miles and miles. Kitty, the monster, and the dark room were gone.

* * *

**Part 3: The Chains**

Phoenix felt sick.

Throwing the covers off his body, he staggered into the bathroom, crashing against the door frame and using it for temporary support. Finally, and not a moment too soon, he reached his bathroom's white porcelain sink and grasped its edges. Keeling over the basin, he opened his muzzle and disgorged the contents of his stomach.

It started with the meals he had that day. Partly digested rice and beans splattered against the sink, followed by stiff ramen noodles and... blackened eggs and cold bacon. Onyx black eggs. A burnt paw. Aquamarine eyes fell down after the rest, but they bounced and swayed halfway down, still hanging by thin optical nerves that lead into his throat. Choking, he grabbed the fragile nerves and yanked them from his mouth, much like one would pull a tooth. The eyes dropped to the sink, rolling to a stop above the polished metal drain. He paused, staring at the sickening mess he had just disgorged into the sink.

The eyes stared back up at him, at the same time disgusting and disgust_ed_.

Disappointed.

His stomach convulsed again—this time his entire back arched forwards and his gut flattened completely as he threw up. Into the sink, he vomited a red spray of blood—but it wasn't his own. He knew that. It was blood he had stolen, stolen from the people who needed it most. The retching didn't stop there. Pandas and white kittens fell out; the panda grinning and holding his knife, the kitten naked and drained of blood, skinny and shivering.

A stuffed arctic fox followed, starring up at him with eyes that reflected betrayal. A guard he had shot at some point in time. A second white cat that smiled evilly at him. All of them white. All of them stained and soaking in a basin of blood that filled his sink.

A pair of razor blades and a broken piece of mirror plopped into the red liquid, sliding to the metal drain at the bottom. An azure-colored fox lay with them, staring up and past him. At nothing but the corner of the room.

Phoenix choked as the next object fought to escape his mouth; thousands of tiny, pointed legs clawed their way up his throat, and an over-sized centipede crawled out of his maw, spilling into the

* * *

Krystal let her towel drop to the floor. She walked over to her bathroom's mirror and stared into it. God knew how long ago it had first been fogged up with condensation. Now, only a blanket of wet droplets covered the mirror, and she could plainly see her reflection through the beads of water.

It sickened her—what she had become.

She stared at her naked body in the mirror, frail and thinner than she had ever been. She looked like a zombie—or a ghost. How was she even alive? What kept her going? She didn't deserve to be breathing. She deserved death over a thousand times, yet she couldn't believe it. It was all her fault; she had no one to blame but herself for the creature she had become. Everyone around her feared her, quaked in their shoes and wet their pants when they saw her. She didn't want to, but she had to become this _thing _to survive. Was it reawhydidshehhavesomanylegs?lly worth it? She killed for fun, she felt nothing but anger and hatred, and a slowly numbing pain that whittled down her nervous system and her ability to feel anything. Soon, even the pain and the hate would be gone, and she'd be an object, a dumb animal, a body without a soul. A part of the ship.

With shaking, bony hands, she clutched at her naked frame, wrapping her arms around her chest and shivering in the cold air of her bathroom.

Love separated sapient beings from the dumb animals, yet she was incapable of feeling it. The only alternative was hate; even Andross knew that. Was that the only thing he could hold onto to make himself feel like a living being? That he was any different from a wild animal? It was the same escape for both of them. They had lost the ability to love, and the ability to create anything that didn't also destroy. To keep from being a dumb animal, Krystal only had one alternative. Animals never hated. Animals never killed for fun. Animals never hurt themselves for pleasure. Animals never chose self-destruction.

Growling, she lashed out at her mirror and slammed it with her paws. She tore at her own image, and the stupid glass that reflected it. With one last smash, she shattered the mirror completely, and cracks appeared along its silver surface. Ignoring the cuts the shards inflicted on her fingers, she continued scraping pieces off until nearly none remained.

She was gone. The pathetic vixen was no longer there.

* * *

Phoenix straitened up, chest heaving from exertion. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, panting.

He didn't deserve any of this. Trapped in a stupid life to grow up to a job he hated, escaping that life only to be constantly shot at and just plain _shot_, shot by the people he hated and the people he loved and the people he didn't give a shit about, murdering others to save his own skin or other murderers who had probably killed far more, and even when he saved himself he was saving a murderer because that's what he was... but he was forced to, wasn't he?

But now he had no one, not even Krystal; she was so fucked up—so fucked up that she couldn't even allow herself any help. She was slowly killing herself, dissolving herself into little pieces to slip through hands and down metal drains and drown in bathtubs and pools of red. She killed and took hundreds of lives for the pleasure of it, but it was only because she was so messed up. She couldn't help it, could she? Her planet was gone, her family taken away from her, forced to grow up on her own without another soul in the world, raised by wild animals and fed by their flesh, killing and hunting at an early age just to stay alive and kill longer. And when she finally found someone to take care of her and absorb her sins and carry the weight of her life, he was just as quickly taken away from her as well, like the rest of her childhood. There was no telling what the Cornerians put her through when she was in prison, but whatever it was, it had fucked her up beyond saving. She couldn't love anyone anymore; the only pleasure she could feel was pain, and the only pleasure she could give others—including him—was pain; it was the only thing she understood.

* * *

"What's the matter?" Krystal breathed, leaning over Phoenix. "Are you scared? Are you scared like all the rest of them?"

The vixen had him pinned on his bed, seated on his abdomen with her legs folded on either side of his waist.

"Krystal, don't..."

She leaned down closer to the vulpine, smirking as her breasts brushed against his bare chest. "Are you really going to stop me? Do you think you would have the power to do it? Do you think you could ever make me happy? Ever be who he was? You're so powerless, Phoenix. You're such a disappointment. But I now you want it; I know you want to fuck me. I can read minds, remember?"

"You're lying! You know that's not what I want!"

"You have a crush on me, don't you? A weak little flame of passion that you call love." She began swaying back and forth on his waist, gasping as she did so. She leaned in closer, biting his ear and whispering.

"But you want more, don't you? You love it all; the pain, the nightmares, the killing. You're just like me, aren't you? You love the fear that freezes your heart and makes it sink. You love my fucked up smile, you love how messed up I am, you love all of it!"

In a fit of desperation, she lay against him and tried to slip her arms between his back and the bed to embrace him. "You love me, right?" she cried. "You love how completely fucked up I am, and you want to get fucked up as well! Please! It's the only way! Please, Fox! You can do it, too!"

frowning, his finger hovered over the backspace key

* * *

In the mirror, a golden-furred vulpine stared back at him. It was more than just his reflection, but still... he felt as if he had seen it before—maybe from a vision.

Fox McCloud stared back at him.

"You..." Phoenix whispered. His rage boiled up inside him. He clenched his fists. _"You..." _he spat again.

"It's all because of you. It's your fault that Krystal ended up this way. Through your empty sacrifice, you left her like this. You came, you found her, you built her back up and gave her a false sense of hope, then you left her. She can't trust anyone else because of you. She can never hope or believe in anything ever again."

He pointed at himself furiously. "Look at this! Look at what you've left on my shoulders! You think anyone besides yourself could satisfy her? Well you're wrong. I can't do this. I'll never be able to live up to you. And you know what? I don't think I'd want to if I could. All the good you've done ended up putting Corneria on it's invincible throne of power, and now look who dares to challenge it? Look how the System turned out. And when you died and left Krystal alone... do you really think it was for the best? That it would be worth living without you? Well, it's not.

"It's not fair!" Phoenix screamed at his mirror. But his wrath was directed at another. "It's all your fault! _You _allowed Krystal to become this way! You allowed her mind to be broken and her heart shattered beyond repair! You did all of this! You created the world, but you also filled it with evil, because you're just as messed up as everyone else! How could you do this to me? To us? I may screw up and hurt some people—I'm sorry God, I killed a few—but when _you_ fuck up, how many people do you hurt? You hurt everyone! There's a pile of bodies dissolving into the earth over millions of years of time! You've killed billions of people, you've made them suffer! Why would you do this to me!? Why would you do this to Krystal!?"

The young vulpine fell against the mirror, weeping. Then, his fists clenched in rage, and he glared back at his own reflection. "You know what? Fuck you."

He had never been so angry with anyone in his life. He rarely swore, much less at people, and never at God. But he couldn't help it. He couldn't do it anymore. He had slowly been drifting away, only holding onto his beliefs by habit. How empty they were, and how blind he had been to how much he had truly fallen away. They couldn't save him anymore. He was on the other side. He was trapped in the cave.

Raising his fist, Phoenix extended his middle finger to the ceiling. "I don't care anymore. I just don't care."

He held the gesture for some time, boiling and seething with rage. He sat down on the toilet seat, sorrowful and wrath-filled thoughts swirling in his head.

"As long as I live and breathe, I will never put this finger down. I'm done. It's over. Do you know what this is? It's a declaration of war. Are you listening to me? _This means war_."

And slowly, God became god.

* * *

how can you declare a war against two ghosts she laughed it seems rather one-sided

Impulsively, he placed his paw on a part of the skillet not covered by the blackened eggs. It stung like fire. The acidic scent of burning fur and skin reached his nostrils.

* * *

Krystal pulled Phoenix into her room, closing and locking the door behind them.

The lithe vixen made her way to the bathroom, the door of which was a rectangle of white light in an otherwise dark room. As she went, she blazed a trail through the carpet of bottles and trash by kicking them out of the way.

"Loosen up; make yourself at home. I'll be right out."

After she disappeared behind the door frame, Phoenix waded through the debris in her room to her bedside. A month ago, he had slept in the arm chair next to her bed. This time, however...

Heart beating and pulse racing, he awkwardly set about removing his shirt. Next, he kicked off his shoes and socks, but for some reason he stopped there. Were they really going to do it?

A minute later, Krystal's black silhouette appeared in the rectangle of glowing light from the bathroom. After focusing on her features for a second, he noted that she had stripped down to her panties and bra. But for some reason, her paw loosely gripped a razor blade.

Glancing back and forth between Phoenix and the bed, Krystal grinned, sheepishly. "Oh, I think I'm in the mood for something a little bit darker." She raised a paw and curled a digit towards herself, gesturing for Phoenix to follow her into the bathroom.

Curious, he left the bed and tiptoed after her. Upon entering the bathroom, he blinked at the bright light fixtures illuminating the white tiling on the floor and walls. Krystal sat down on the floor, crossing her legs underneath her and placing a clear glass bowl between herself and Phoenix. The male vulpine took the hint and sat down opposite her, wondering what she had in mind.

Krystal produced the razor blade she had been holding. She lifted it up between them, studying the glinting silver rectangle in the light. Then, breathing deeply, she lowered the blade and stretched out her arm over the bowl.

"Trust me," she said. "It feels pretty good."

_no o onononononono_

With her arms finally displayed, Phoenix noticed a pattern of scarred stripes across the vixen's wrists, hidden from eyesight beneath her fur—unless anyone took the time to search for them.

In the space of a few seconds, all of Phoenix's desire vanished. He stared at the metal blade in Krystal's hand, noting the sharp edge; his tail curled at the thought of it breaking skin.

_Are we doing this? Are we really doing this?_

Krystal smiled apologetically. Then, as her smile disappeared, she slowly lowered the blade to her arm.

"Wait," Phoenix said, reaching out and grabbing her hand. "I... I'll go first."

The vixen shrugged, though she reluctantly handed over the razor. "Fine by me."

With his pulse once again skyrocketing, and his heart thumping in his ears, he extended his own left arm and placed the razor against it. His hand shook. To hide it, he set his jaw and deftly drew the blade across his skin.

It stung. Red dripped into bowl, splashing against the glass side with each drop.

With the incision made, he looked up and locked eyes with Krystal. He released a pent-up breath.

Giving Phoenix a look that said "My turn", Krystal took the blade from him and placed it against her own arm.

Two red streams now poured into the bowl.

They took turns making incisions in their remaining wrists, then placed their hands on the edges of the basin, letting their blood pool at the bottom.

"Funny, isn't it," Krystal muttered, "How pain can feel good."

"It's like developing a taste, right? Like for alcohol?" Phoenix asked.

"Wrong. It's like numbing your taste. After so many drinks, your tongue gets worn down. You get bored. You can't taste the same stuff you could when you were a child. So you drink soda, then when you get numbed to that and need something harder, you drink beer. After that, the percentage of alcohol you need to taste anything or even addle your mind gradually increases. If your liver hadn't given out and killed you years before, you would eventually be drinking pure alcohol, I'd bet. That's my theory, at least. Same with sour candy and spicy food. Same with the shows you watch, and the books you read, and the sins you commit. It's all meant to hurt you—to take you further down that cave. It's funny how people love pain. They love hurting themselves once they can't feel anything soft. That Kitty brat you love? You would have gotten bored of her, eventually."

"Don't talk about her like that," Phoenix warned with gritted teeth. "Leave her out of this."

"Oh come on. If you had it to do over again, you would have definitely fucked that little girl. But over time you would have gotten bored of her; you'd need someone rougher, who can hurt you back. I would fit that job description. You'd love the pain; you'd love getting hurt. You love _this._"

Phoenix looked up at her from the bloody basin, silently broiling with anger. "And what happens if I get bored of you, too?"

Krystal laughed. "That's the great part. You'd never get bored of me. We're on the same track, you and I. We'll develop our tastes at the same rate, gradually wanting more and more pain. It only stops when the alcohol finally kills you, when you've drained every last drop of blood, when the pain finally ends your life.

"Doesn't it look like... doesn't it feel like everything could just... _end... _here?"

Phoenix followed her eyes to the pool of ruby-red blood filling up the bowl. His arms felt weak. His stomach was queasy, and his forehead felt icy cold. He was losing blood, and the way Krystal was struggling to talk, he knew she was, too.

"This is where it'll all end," the vixen continued, the red circle reflecting in the centers of her teal eyes, hypnotizing them. "Who knows. Maybe this _is_ the end. Why wait for more pain? Why not end it now? It's just like, _The Hunting Party,_

**The End**

"I can't imagine it getting any better from here on out. It can only get worse. We can only go deeper and darker. It'll never return to the way it was before. Can't you feel it? The feeling that it's all going to be over? If we bleed just a little more, it'll all just end..."

* * *

The centipede came for him

* * *

**Part 4: The Key**

Fox was gone. It was just him now—just his own reflection.

"You're not weak..." his voice felt small and timid in the empty bathroom.

"You're not powerless.

"You can do this.

"You just have to try.

He smiled.

"Remember all the good you've done? All the brave acts you pulled off? How many people actually stand up and sacrifice themselves for the rest of their class? Will just anyone take a bullet to the leg? Do you know anyone else back on Corneria who would even attempt flying a space fighter? Sargasso would be gone if it wasn't for you. You're surrounded by hot chicks. You saved a young girl's life by killing for her... and she loved you enough to give her own life in return. You stood up to that monster before it killed Krystal... do you still think you're so powerless?"

"That's right," Phoenix said, raising his voice. "I'm actually pretty awesome. I'm not some wimp. I can hold a gun, I can kill anything and anyone, I can hold my own out here. I'm one in a million. I... I bet I'm even better than Fox McCloud at this age. I'm the best. I'm the bomb. I-I'm the shit."

_The shit. _He liked the sound of that.

He repeated it again. "That's right. I'm the shit."

He paused. Lightning didn't strike him.

"I'm the shit."

Each team he repeated the phrase, a weight seemed to fall from his shoulders.

"I'm the shit... I'm the shit... I'm the shit..."

Over and over again, he began repeating the ridiculous mantra.

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

. Mercury

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I can do this shit all year

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

o Venus

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

o. Earth — Your shit's here

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

9,800 shits to Aunt Sally's Pecan Pralines

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

When I say "shit", everybody shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

o Mars. Only robots live here. Robots don't shit.

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm teh shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

9,400 shits to Aunt Sally's Pecan Pralines

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

.`: . The Asteroid Field. Lots of little shits here.

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I gotta take a shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

Oh-oh, shit-break

* * *

Shit's back

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

9,000 shits to Aunt Sally's Pecan Pralines

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

O Jupiter—That's some big shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

Oh sh-t, the censor's back.

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

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I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

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I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

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I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

I'm the sh-t

There; got rid of the little shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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"_Hi, welcome to Bob's Big Bang Burger Bar. My name's Stacy. How may I help you?"_

The _Great Fox _was docked alongside a small asteroid, built into which was a brightly-colored fast-food establishment complete with a neon "OPEN" sign and several drive thru windows. The Hunting Party's dreadnought dwarfed the floating space rock by more than twice its size. To fit in the drive-thru, Phoenix had to inch the ship's bridge carefully next to the radio box that took customer's orders.

The vulpine leaned over the _Great Fox's _control panel, flipping the communications switch. "Yes, thank you, I'd like two Quadruple-B burgers with no pickles, and a Heat Death Icee. Oh, and a kid's meal. Don't ask..."

Phoenix switched off the mic, waiting for a response.

"_Would you like fries with that?"_

He scratched his chin. "Uh, yes please."

"_Anything else?"_

Phoenix glanced at Krystal, who sat next to him in the bridge. "Uh, what did you want again?"

"Just a diet Cosmic Cola."

"Uh, one Cosmic Cola," Phoenix said into the communications system.

"_All right, your total is 10.27 credits. Please pull up to the next window."_

"Wait, no!" Krystal jumped out of her chair and hailed the restaurant with their radio, but the employee didn't respond. Sighing, the vixen slumped back down in her chair and crossed her arms, looking out the bridge window away from Phoenix.

As he brought the _Great Fox _forward to the next window, the tod's ears drooped. "Are... are you mad at me? For not getting it diet?"

When Krystal didn't answer, he continued, "Because, you know, you look mad."

"I'm not mad!" Krystal growled.

"Well, I'm getting the feeling you're upset. You know, if you're upset, feel free to talk about—"

"No! NO!" Krystal shouted, slamming her fists on the control panel. "I'm not upset! I'm NOT!"

She gestured with her arms in a wide arc at the glowing stars that twinkled outside the bridge window. "This solar system is upset! With absurd prices!"

Krystal leapt to her feet, pointing furiously at the restaurant's menu. "_Five dollars_ for a meal at Bob's Big Bang Burgers? I need more goddamn meat in my diet!"

She fell back into her chair, causing it to squeal in protest. "I look around and I just see _stupid! _Quit complaining about religion! No one cares! Oompa-loompas are murdering themselves in space!"

"Holy shit!" Phoenix threw up his hands to shield himself as an orange-skinned creature bounced off the windshield.

But Krystal's tirade went on: "Oh boo hoo, you're gay, you're lesbian, you're straight... My vagina doesn't work!"

Silence fell over the flight deck, during which both foxes avoided speaking to or looking at each other.

Eventually, the drive-thru window in front of them opened up. _"Thank you for visiting Bob's Big Bang Burger Bar. Have a nice day!"_

A white paper sack and two drinks were tossed out the window, floating aimlessly in space. Both vulpines watched their meal slowly drift past the _Great Fox's _window.

"You wanted to take the drive-thru," Krystal sighed.

"Of course I did," Phoenix answered. He pointed to himself, "I'm the

shit

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(o) Saturn—Now that's some pretty shit

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7,500 shits to Aunt Sally's Pecan Pralines

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

STAR WARS

...

It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships,

striking from a hidden base, have won their

first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.

During the battle, Rebel spies managed to

steal secret plans to the Empire's ultimate

weapon, the DEATH STAR, an armored space

station with enough power to destroy an

entire planet.

...

Pursued by the Empire's sinister agents, Princess

Leia races home aboard her starship, custodian of

the stolen plans that can save her people and

restore freedom to the galaxy….

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

STAR WARS

...

Episode V

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

It is a dark time for the Rebellion.

Although the Death Star has been

destroyed, Imperial troops have driven

the Rebel forces from their hidden base

and pursued them across the galaxy.

...

Evading the dreaded Imperial Starfleet,

a group of freedom fighters led by Luke

Skywalker has established a new secret

base on the remote ice world of Hoth.

...

The evil lord Darth Vader, obsessed with

finding young Skywalker, has dispatched

thousands of remote probes into the far

reaches of space...

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

STAR WARS

...

Episode VI

REVENGE OF THE JEDI

Luke Skywalker has returned to his home planet

of Tatooine in an attempt to rescue his friend

Han Solo from the clutches of the vile gangster

Jabba the Hutt.

...

Little does Luke know that the GALACTIC EMPIRE

has secretly begun construction on a new

armored space station even more powerful

than the first dreaded Death Star.

...

When completed, this ultimate weapon will

spell certain doom for the small band of rebels

struggling to restore freedom to the galaxy...

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

_Entry number seventeen_

_Dark darker yet darker_

_The darkness keeps growing_

_The shadows cutting deeper_

_Photon readings negative_

_This next experiment seems_

_Very_

_Very_

_Interesting_

_..._

_What do you two think?_

_..._

_BEWARE THE MAN WHO SPEAKS THROUGH HANDS_

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

Outer space is full of shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

0 The shit comes out of Uranus... he he

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

"Cheers."

Phoenix and Slippy clacked their coconut shells together, then drank out of the fuzzy cups. Phoenix was surprised how delicious the _piña colada_ tasted against his tongue, though the experience of drinking the tropical beverage was heightened by the coconut containing it.

Vulpine and amphibian sat reclining on similar beach chairs, feet in the sand and ridiculous sunglasses shading their eyes. Both of them wore extremely loud Hawaiian shirts, patterned with all manner of palm trees, flowers, and tropical birds. Their beach chairs were grounded in a small floating island covered in sand. All around the isle flowed a sparkling nebula—a cloud of cosmic dust that glowed a pale blue. Though the island floated in deep space, the sky field that faced the island from all sides was a dark azure color, dotted with billions upon billions of glittering stars. Anchored to the island by a thick cable, and floating a hundred feet above it loomed the _Great Fox_, floating like a sleeping whale.

"Ah... this is the life," Slippy said as he kicked back and folded his arms behind his head. "Ain't it, Elvfish Pikely?"

In a third seat beside Phoenix and Slippy's lay a spotted fish, dressed in an slick black pompadour wig and awkwardly propped up against the back of the chair. Its golden eye looked confusedly around the beach, and its jaw silently flapped.

Slippy nodded in agreement. "You sure have a way with words, Elvfish."

Phoenix set down his coconut shell in the sand beneath his chair. Laying his hands upon the armrests, he simply basked in the dull glow emitted by the nebula. The trio stared in silent wonder at the center of the cosmic cloud, which glowed like a pale moon or star. Stretched from planet to planet were the segments of an impossibly long invertebrate; its body must have been longer than the entirety of the solar system. The majority of its billions of legs wiggled aimlessly while only a few of its segments were actually anchored on solid objects, wrapped several times around the floating planets. A long centipede that connected all the planets in the system. A long centipede made out of... shit.

"Do you know where the center of the universe is, Phoenix?"

The vulpine shrugged, and answered lazily, as if he were half-awake. "Dunno. I guess where the Big Bang started, right? Since everything originated from that point."

"Oh, I guess you're right," Slippy admitted, finishing off his Bob's Big Bang Burger Bar kids meal.

When the mechanic trailed off, Phoenix prodded him on. "Did you have something else in mind?"

Slippy swallowed his mouthful of food and crossed his legs, staring out at the field of stars. "Well, yeah. I was just thinking... there's a theory that the universe is spherical. I don't mean like a planet or a beach ball or anything like that, but a fourth-dimensional sphere."

Phoenix scratched his head. "How would that work, exactly?"

"Oh, it's just that anywhere you go you'll end up back where you started. Like, if you were to leave this island and go through the center of that nebula—" Here Slippy raised his arm and pointed through the glowing cloud as if his hand were a gun. "—and keep going for billions of light-years, you'd end up right back here. Like that centipede, for instance. It could stretch across the whole universe and meet its tale. Maybe even devour itself in a never-ending cycle."

"Hmm..." Phoenix sat up, pointing through the gaseous cloud as well. "So, if you got a telescope powerful enough, and looked through it, you would see the back of your head? You'd see yourself looking through the telescope?"

"Exactly," Slippy affirmed. "And you know what that means, right?"

Phoenix gave the amphibian a blank stare through his sunglasses.

"It means

_**you**_

are the center of the universe."

"Huh," Phoenix mused as he sank back into his seat. "That's pretty amazing, actually."

"Yup. No matter where you are in the universe, you're technically at it's center because it's one big circle." After taking another sip from his _piña_ _colada_, Slippy chuckled. "'Course, that also means that this island is the center of the universe, or that I'm the center of the universe, or that Elvfish Pikely is the center of the universe, or that random shit twenty shits above us is the center. By that logic, every atom is at the center of the universe as well. Maybe there isn't even a real center, then, and everything's just worthless."

The spotted fish beside them flapped its mouth some more.

"Yeah, you're right, Elvfish," Slippy agreed. "It is more fun to assume you are the center of the universe. Certainly does a lot for your self-esteem. Everyone else is at the center of their own little universe as well. So, if everyone's really import, you should treat them like it. Would certainly make the world a better place."

The blue nebula pulsated and swirled before them.

"Hey, Slip, hand me that bag, will ya?" Phoenix asked.

"Sure." Slippy picked up the small paper sack from Bob's Big Bang Burger Bar and tossed it to Phoenix. "Why do you want it?"

"I want to test your theory." The vulpine reached in and pulled out a small plastic bag, which he tore open to reveal a small kids meal toy. It was a plastic spyglass, made to look like one that classic pirates used. Scooting to the edge of his beach chair, Phoenix leaned forward, closed one eye, and placed the spyglass against his open one.

As the clouds of cosmic dust dissipated, he was able to see the back of the small island after all. Twisting the plastic lens, he zoomed in further, focusing on his own back.

A blue vixen came into focus, leaning against his back and blocking the rest of him from view. She looked peaceful, chest rising and falling as she gently breathed in a restful sleep.

Phoenix lowered the spyglass.

"You're right. It works."

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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5,000 shits to Aunt Sally's Pecan Pralines

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

Donald Trump lives here. With the rest of this shit.

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

In the third month, when the members of the Hunting Party were gone forth out of the land of Lylat, the same day came they into the void of The Solar System.

For they were departed from the Lylat, and were come to the void between Uranus and Neptune, and had pitched in the void; and there the Hunting Party camped before the mount.

And Elarix went up unto Shigeru Miyamoto, and the Lord of Games called unto him out of the space mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of The Star Fox Archive, and tell the children of Fanfiction dot Net;

Ye have seen what I did unto _Star Fox: Adventures_, and how I bear you on arwings' wings, and brought you unto myself.

Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the internet is mine:

And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of gamers, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Fanfiction dot Net.

And he gave unto Elarix, when he had made an end of communing with him upon the space mountain, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of Shigeru Miyamoto himself.

And Elarix descended the space mountain, carrying with him the stone tablets, and he read them aloud to the children of Fanfiction dot Net:

Thou shalt not give your site login and password information to any 3rd party

Thou shalt not put sensitive info on your profile page

Thou shalt not fill your profile up with "copy and paste this onto your profile" blurbs

Though shalt not list thy favorite parings

Thou shalt not list thy favorite music, shows, games, or books on your profile

Thou shalt not use fanfiction to get into a girl's pants—use it to get into her _head_

Though shalt not permit fanfiction dot net to censor website addresses by deleting periods

Thou shalt not misspell "Thou" as "Though" an inordinate amount of times

Thou shalt not forget to spell chekc your stories

Thanks Chrome, I see the red squiggly line.

Thou shalt not leave flames

Thou shalt not use the word "interesting" in your reviews. my art teacher could do better than that staring at a black cnavas

THOUGH SHALT NOT WRITE YOUR STORY NAME, PENAME, OR STORY DESCRPTION IN ALL CAPS

Thou shalt not delete my two reviews spaced a year apart where I go to the trouble of translating them into Spanish for you just because I politely ask you to change the letter case in your story title and description

Thou shalt not write stories that are merely lists, bloopers, polls, previews, challenges, author notes, one or two liners, comments inserted in between the flow of a copied story like Cinemasins' Everything Wrong With series, stories with non-historical and non-fictional characters, any form of interactive entry, choose your adventure, second person/you based, Q&amp;As, chat/script format and keyboard dialogue based entries

Thou shalt not copy and paste morla laws from other religions or terms and agreements forms into your own religious code of laws or terms and agreemnts

Thou shalt not post multiple entries of the same story with just a few name changes

Thou shalt not make your story description a higher rating than a K

Thou shalt not post adult or provocative images

Thou shalt not cliam the Confederate Flag is a provocative image

Thou shalt not claim Rick Sanchez culturally appropriated his sombrero from mexicans. The mexicans culturally appropirated sombreros from aliens. Note the shocking resemblance to flying saucers.

Thou shalt not post images with solid blocks of bright, neon colors

Thou shalt not miss the line in Star Wars Episode VII where Finn asks why the color of the droid should matter lol

Thou shalt not write repetitive generic stories

Thou shalt not write repetitive generic stories

Thou shalt not write repetitive generic stories

Thou shalt not write repetitive generic stories

Thou shalt not excessively censor language in your story when the rest of the adult content is worse

Thou shalt not kill off the main character in a fandom to replace them with your own OC

Thou shalt never piar your OC with the lead female _or _male

Thou shalt not write humans meet Star Fox stories

Thou shalt not write WolfxFox or FalcoxLeon stories. That's disgusting.

KrystalxKatt or any similar pairing is perfectly acceptable.

Thou shalt nod hold double standards

Thou shalt not put authors on ridiculous pedestals—no matter how great they _are_ or _were_.

Cpt Fox? Just a writer.

Foxmerc? Just a writer.

Feuerstoss? Just a writer.

Kit-Karamak? Just a writer.

Katalicious? Just a writer.

Vexed? Just a writer.

chaos_leader? Just a writer.

Snake of the Rose? Just a writer.

Tobias Umbra? Just a writer.

SyxxFox? Just a writer.

Zythxx? Just a writer.

SkullFox? Just a writer.

Chimerical Knave? Just a writer.

Irish Redd? Just a writer.

Did I miss anyone? If so, they;re writers

Though shalt not "blame Elarix"

Thou shalt not make fun of Kylo Ren for being an emo pussy. It makes him a better character.

Thou shalt not compare Phoenix to Kylo Ren, nor to Reyf or that matter

Thou shalt not ask Phoenix's last name. He doesn't have one.

Thou shalt not misspell my last name three different ways on my high school award plaques. It's two r's, one t, ya fucking idoits

Thou shalt not make fun of Christian private schools for never talking about sex. Make fun of them for talking about it_ too much_

Thou shalt not press CTRL plus F and count how many times the word "shit" appears in this chapter. It's not some special number, I prosmise

Thou shalt not scroll past Aunt Sally's Pecan Pralines

Thou shalt not press "END" to skip to the bottom of this page

Thou shalt not make up rules just because you've run out of rules to break

Thou shalt not artificially inflate the word length of your story with _LITERAL SHIT_

Thou shalt not rip off of multpile obscure songs without at least disclosing them in an author's note

Thou shalt not speed up any random song by 25 percent and call it "nightcore".

Thou shalt not make amvs of the "big four" anime.

Thou shalt not make amvs using the songs "Monster", "Hero", "Bring Me to Life", "This is War", "Ultranumb", "In the End", "What I've Done", "Numb", "Breaking the Habit", "Bodies," "Animal I have Become", or "My Demons". Somehow, you all managed to turn rock into over-played radio pop.

Thou shalt not change thy YouTube account name if it is inextricably linked to your Google plus account with your real name

Thou shalt not autocorrect "google" to "Google" just because Android wants you to

Thou shalt not autocorredt "kkk" to "mom"

Though shalt not ask why I was typing "kkk" in the first place

Thou shalt not let Kyocera Hydro and Vibe users wait four FIVE FUCKINGmontsh with a shitty update to Google Play Services that causes none of Google's apps to work including YouTube, Google Play Music, Doc Manager, and Drive without giving them a single fix or patch update. Five fuckinbg months now. Fuck you, Kyocera.

Thou shalt not judge America by Donald Trump

Thou shalt not judge Britain by David Cameron

Judge the 50 percents of their respective conservative parties

Thou shalt not claim you've played and loved video games since a young age when you were caught on camera years earlier saying you hate games and never played them

Thou shalt not add the words "Mic drop," "Awesomesauce," "SJW," "Mansplaining," "Manspreading," "Brain Fart," "Pwned," "Butt-dial," "Bruh," or "Microaggression" to the Oxford English dictionary.

Thou shalt not place commas inside quotation marks if you are quoting something without a comma at the end

Thou shalt not make the characters Ford Prefect, Nancy Drew, Roland Deschain, Grover Underwood, or races of elves and vikings black for the sake of diversity. Make them black because SAMUEL L. JACKSON HELL YEAH

There is no saving _Avatar: the Last Airbender _film

Thou shalt not name Miss Piggy "Feminist of the Year". If you think about it, though, it really fits.

Thou shalt not name Caitlyn Jenner the "Woman of the Year"; she's still got a penis

Thou shalt not excessively label things as sexist:

Science? Sexist

STEM? Sexist

Peer reviews? Sexist

Mars colonies? Sexist

Meritocracy? Sexist

History? Sexist

Chivalry? Sexist, says new study

World Wars? Sexist

National anthems? All of them, sexist

Money? Every bill!

Our attitudes? Sexist

Rape culture? No shit

Monogamy? Sexist

Fatherhood? Turns men into misogynists!

Every word containing "man" or "men"

Your bookshelf? Sexist

Art galleries? Sexist

Video games? Don't get me started

The video game industry? Sexist

Magic: the Gathering? Sexist

Warhammer? Sexist

Toys? Sexist

Chess? Sexist

Women's soccer commentators? Sexist

Boxing? Sexist

Head injuries? Sexist

Safety measures? Sexist

HIV transmission? Sexist

Climate change? Seriously, WTF

Police? Sexist

The Oxford English Dictionary? Sexist

The beer industry? Sexist, too

Amanda Marcotte's goddamn _laundry basket_ is sexist

Air conditioning? Loves men!

Seagulls? They target women, the filthy misogynists

Self service aisles at the grocery store? Sexist

Miss Universe? Sexist

Miss Nude Australia? Surprisingly not, idk y

Hot guys? Sexist

Hugs? Sexist

Dr. Taylor's shirt? Sexist!

Ties? Sexist

School dress codes? Sexist

Poverty? Sexist

Criticizing Hilary Clinton? Sexist, according to my hero Bernie Sanders, you know, you really let me down this time Bernie, hopefully you were just misquoted

Barack Obama? Sexist

ObamaCare? Sexist

Barclays Bank? Sexist

Clickbait? Sexist

Hollywood? Sexist _and _racist!

Television? Sexist and... _ageist_? Is that really a thing? Oh my fucking...

Scottish law? Sexist

Society at large? Sexist

Life expectancy? Sexist, even though women tend to live longer...

Rioting? Sexist

Not rioting? Also sexist

Feminists' fantasies? Sexist

The Bedschdel test? Sexist

Feminism? Sexist

The Dalai Lama? Sexist

The Catholic Church? Sexist

Judaism? Sexist

Christianity? Sexist

Islam? ...

...

...

oF COURSE ISLAM ISNT' SEXIST YOU MORONS

Thou shalt not use the excuse, "It's 2016" as an excuse for getting whatever you want. For instance:

"Let's replace John Oliver from "Last Week Tonight" with a woman, because it's 2016, people."

"Let's bomb the shit out of Russia, because it's 2016"

"Let's commit genocide against Muslims, because it's 2016."

"Let's ban games like Grand Theft Auto, because it's 2016."

"Let's segregate universities into black and white safe spaces, because it's 2016."

etc.

Thou shalt think for yourselves

...

But

...

Above all

...

Thou shalt always remember

...

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

Good Lord, it's a cheeseburger

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

A _double _cheeseburger

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

The secrets of the universe are between the buns

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

*bun 1*  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
it's bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
bullshit  
*bun 2*

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

Nope: apparently just diabetus

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

_Another Station; Another Mile_ was just updated. Here's an excerpt: "S.H.E.P.P.A.R.D.I.S.G.A.Y."

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

You know what's really shit? Here's some shit:

Oh whoa, oh whoa, oh whoa  
You know you love me, I know you care  
Just shout whenever, and I'll be there  
You are my love, you are my heart  
And we would never ever ever be apart  
Are we an item? Girl, quit playing  
We're just friends, what are you saying?  
Say there's another and look right in my eyes  
My first love broke my heart for the first time  
And I was like...  
Baby, baby, baby oooh  
Like baby, baby, baby nooo  
Like baby, baby, baby oooh  
I thought you'd always be mine (mine)  
Baby, baby, baby oooh  
Like baby, baby, baby nooo  
Like baby, baby, baby oooh  
I thought you'd always be mine (mine)  
Oh, for you I would have done whatever  
And I just can't believe we ain't together  
And I wanna play it cool, but I'm losin' you  
I'll buy you anything, I'll buy you any ring  
And I'm in pieces, baby fix me  
And just shake me 'til you wake me from this bad dream  
I'm going down, down, down, down  
And I just can't believe my first love won't be around  
And I'm like  
Baby, baby, baby oooh  
Like baby, baby, baby nooo  
Like baby, baby, baby oooh  
I thought you'd always be mine (mine)  
Baby, baby, baby oooh  
Like baby, baby, baby nooo  
Like baby, baby, baby oooh  
I thought you'd always be mine (mine)  
_[Ludacris:]_  
Luda! When I was 13, I had my first love,  
There was nobody that compared to my baby  
And nobody came between us or could ever come above  
She had me going crazy, oh, I was star-struck,  
She woke me up daily, don't need no Starbucks.  
She made my heart pound, it skipped a beat when I see her in the street and  
At school on the playground but I really wanna see her on the weekend.  
She knows she got me dazing cause she was so amazing  
And now my heart is breaking but I just keep on saying...  
Baby, baby, baby oooh  
Like baby, baby, baby nooo  
Like baby, baby, baby oooh  
I thought you'd always be mine (mine)  
Baby, baby, baby oooh  
Like baby, baby, baby nooo  
Like baby, baby, baby oooh  
I thought you'd always be mine (mine)  
I'm gone (Yeah Yeah Yeah, Yeah Yeah Yeah)  
Now I'm all gone (Yeah Yeah Yeah, Yeah Yeah Yeah)  
Now I'm all gone (Yeah Yeah Yeah, Yeah Yeah Yeah)  
Now I'm all gone (gone, gone, gone...)  
I'm gone

Now for some real shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

Thou shalt not paste lyrics into your stories

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

All this shit doesn't even crash Fanfiction dot net

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

Unless you're on mobile... which is shit...

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

Have I reached the chapter max word limit yet? No? Well shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

O Neptune—That's some far out shit. I'm still the shit, tho

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

2430 shits to Aunt Sally's Pecan Pralines

I'm the shit

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_[Radio static] I'm not going back in. No, I won't do it. Seriously, no, I'm not going back in. It's-it's done, cut. [Silence] Can, maybe... someone put me back in the Kubrick? [Breath] I want to go back in the Kubrick. Like, someone can, maybe, take me to the room where I become the old man and watch myself die? Yeah? It's fine, like, you don't even need to give me the whole space baby thing. I'll go without the space baby. __[Static] __Okay, fine I'll take the space baby_—

I'm the shit

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Shit... the final frontier...

I'm the shit

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**Hello?**

I'm the shit

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**Is anybody out there?**

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

**It's lonely out here**

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

**Sometimes I feel like shit**

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

**You don't need anybody else; _you're_ the shit**

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

**Oh, that's right; I'm the shit**

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

_While I'm overjoyed that you like Faulkner's technique, it is incredibly rare for any post-Faulkner writers to pull off the same technique._

_While your "stream of consciousness" in the steam vegetable is more admirable than the "I am the shit" section, you have not read enough of Faulkner or studied modernist prose writing enough to completely capture the craft._

_These 2 attempts to be like Faulkner and this "visual use of text" has a complete oppose effect of what you as a writer intended. Your intention for this "effect" was obvious from the beginning in the first draft. However, it is unsuccessful still because it is showing the following assumptions about the craft of creative writing: _

_1) The conceit that creative writing is easy &amp; as superficially constructed as the repetition of one single line (even if it is "typed"). As if anyone can do it if they just repeated any old phrase enough and "hid" something as the obvious outlier to show some type of "edgy" change, because writing is so effortless and easy, like painting or flash art. _

_2) The fact that this essay is still very entitled to dwelling in its "emotional ambivalence &amp; apathy" without fully showing a "scene" beyond the narrator's internal self-reflection, completely fails the overall attempt to make again any reader to connect or "sympathize" with the product. _

_3) If the reader is supposed to feel sympathy or the same type of "intense apathy" as the narrator/writer, this essay does not do this successful. Instead this essay ends on a series of clichés and superficial contempt and opposition of any creative nonfiction writing technique. _

_4) If anything, this final essay &amp; letter still is incredibly disrespectful to ALL writer and reader in their stages of learning the craft. It is showing a flagrant disregard for any type of attempts to do any creative writing craft, whether it is "creative nonfiction" or not. If anything, this essay is displaying incredible resistance and disregard to learn any real writing techniques. _

_All in all, this essay shows the writer has not read enough, experienced enough, and written enough to be ready to start creative writing._

_There is incredible entitlement &amp; egocentric thinking as this writing is laboring under the false conception that any reader would possibly want to indulge the writer in such conceit as "an Easter egg hunt."_

_What is the larger argument or point of this essay? If anything, this essay is a complete exposure of a writer who is insecure &amp; uncertain about the scope himself. But this idea is not constructed in any unique manner where the reader can fully sympathize with the writer or want to understand him better. If anything the egocentric conceit does the reverse: that the writer does not deserve any attention or emotion from the beyond, because of this blatant arrogance and "self-indulgent" exposition. _

_If writing was so easy, why is it a dying art? Perhaps the answer has something to do with this exact thought process that is being displayed in this letter (in addition to this essay): the average person thinks they can publish something trite &amp; superficial if the ideas were dressed up as something "edgy" because it is their "personal fan-fiction" way of pushing the envelope. In truth, this is lazy and a sign of complete lack of understanding (and lack of desire to learn)._

**A/N: Lol, misses the point entirely. Why can't you understand**

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

500 shits to Aunt Sally's Pecan Pralines

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

200 shits to Aunt Sally's Pecan Pralines

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

100 shits to Aunt Sally's Pecan Pralines

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

. Pluto's still a planet. He's the shit, too.

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

75 shits to Aunt Sally's Pecan Pralines

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

I'm the shit

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20 shits to Aunt Sally's Pecan Pralines

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You have just passed Aunt Sally's Pecan Pralines

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**Man, fuck this shit.**

I'm the shi

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I'm the s

I'm the

I'm th

I'm t

I'm

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* * *

She gasped as Phoenix grabbed onto her bleeding wrists. Her blood soaked through his fingers a bit, but for the most part the flow was halted. He had stopped her bleeding, but at the same time, he allowed his own wrists to continue pouring out.

"Ph-Phoenix?" Krystal whimpered.

The vulpine slowly exhaled, the world beginning to dip and spin around him. He felt faint, but he still kept an iron tight grip on her wrists, staunching her blood flow. He managed to look up into her eyes, staring back at her. He would fight it. He wasn't weak. He wasn't powerless. He was the strongest, most powerful man alive in the history of the universe. He grinned.

And he would win this war


	22. A Line in the Sand Part 1: Wishbone

**Chapter 22: A Line in the Sand**

**Part 1: Wishbone**

* * *

The _Great Fox _was on its night cycle: low noise, lights out, and the subtlest of changes in inertia. Outside of Phoenix's porthole, a blue marble glimmered a million miles away. It was either Aquas or Corneria; the former if they had a job, the latter if they wanted to commit suicide. Whichever planet it was, Phoenix was only mildly interested. He turned his attention from the view port back to his phone, continuing to scroll through the interplanetary news he had never gotten on Corneria.

His door buzzed, and the overhead light blinked. Phoenix pocketed his phone and slowly rose from his room's couch. There were only three people it could possibly be, yet every teammate on board were currently avoiding each other. Must be important.

Without bothering to check, Phoenix hit a button on the side panel and the door hissed open. Krystal was there, a phantom in the dark corridor. From all the nightmares that haunted the vulpines, and from her current state of well-being, she very would could have been a ghost.

Krystal's state was deteriorating. Any other time, Phoenix would have been turned on by her black panties and bra, but instead of revealing lively flesh, they only exposed more death. He felt no lust, only pity. The vixen was dangerously skinny, her appetite gradually decreasing since Fortuna. Below her bra, the outline of her ribs was visible; her cheeks slightly shrunken, bags forming beneath her eyes. While Phoenix had gotten stronger and put on weight over the course of their missions, Krystal's condition was only getting worse.

Phoenix deadpanned, "Wow, you look like s... shh... _Shhhhh..._" but for some reason he couldn't form the word.

Krystal looked down at the floor and brushed past him with her shoulder. "Whatever," she murmured. "Just let me in already."

While Phoenix sealed the door behind them, Krystal sat cross-legged on his couch and waited for him. Unsure of what to expect, and nervous as usual, Phoenix sat facing her.

When she raised her voice, it came out hoarse and gravelly. "Phi, I know I've shown you more nightmares than you'd ever want to see, but there's just... there's only one m-more... someone else has to..." Krystal's voice began to crack, and she looked to be fighting back tears—and losing.

"Look, you don't have to show me anything you're not comfortable—"

Uttering a weak, frustrated cry, Krystal placed a hand over Phoenix's eyes. He closed them out of respect, letting Krystal take the reins of each and every one of his senses. The void in his mind reeled; he felt dizzy and tired at the same time, like he might fall asleep from pain medication. Eventually, he reached the same dreamlike state where he had previously glimpsed into Krystal's past.

* * *

In the morning, Phoenix needed to get outside.

He was pleased to find the _Great Fox _floating in the ruins of a bombed-out coastal city on Corneria. It was several miles south of the capitol, and, unlike Corneria City, hadn't been considered important enough to rebuild after Andross's invasion. It remained half submerged in the ocean, stone and steel bones poking up out of the water. Only the taller buildings were visible, leaving plenty of room for the rising sun to shimmer off the water.

All of this Phoenix took in while standing on the spine of the _Fox's _fuselage. It was a beautiful sight: the red sun coming up out of the water, the waves afire, the black silhouetted buildings. It was almost enough to make him forget, but not quite.

_In the dream—the memory—they held Krystal in a cell on Venom. Corneria's only military outpost on the forsaken planet. Staffed with misbehaving guards who fucked up bad enough to land themselves reassignment to Lylat's wasteland. Soldiers deprived of their friends and lovers. __Lonely, scared, and with a bone to pick, staffing the same planet that drove Andross to madness._

_He experienced everything Krystal did. The ends of their nerves intertwined, becoming inseparable. The physical manifestation of empathy. When she was chained to the wall, he was. When the guards tortured her, they tortured him._

Phoenix paused on the middle of the _Great Fox's _backbone. He turned and stared out over the glowing water, into the sun. Maybe he could burn the memory from his eyes. Let the heat from the sun's rays melt the experience from his skin.

He had brought a toothbrush and bottle of water with him. After a different nightmare and series of events he shared with Krystal, he found he couldn't face his own bathroom anymore: the mirror, the sink, the tub, his razor... He elected instead to brush his teeth outside.

_The beatings and kicks left __their skin bruised__. Belts and cables rendered their bare backs raw. Repeated __electric shocks __forced them through a myriad of contortions.__The dogs needed to see others suffer; it made their own plight easier to stomach. They would create a worse hell for their prisoner, to make theirs pale in comparison. Those guards she could forgive._

_ She could never forgive or forget _**him.**

_Each fist, boot, belt, shock that befell Krystal, Phoenix felt as well. They went by in a flash, a timelapse of sorts, but they left marks and pain residue all the same. __They were preparing the way, building the alter, laying the palm branches for the pain of pains, the torment of torment__s__, the scar of scars that _**he **_would inflict._

Phoenix popped the toothbrush into his mouth. He worked it back and forth over his vulpine teeth until a foamy lather built up. The sound created by the brush's friction, the waves lapping against the hull of the _Great Fox, _and the calls of wild birds tried to calm his beating heart.

_Neither Krystal__—__nor Phoenix now__—c__ould ever forget _**him**_. __The _**terrier**_ was alone, as mad as the rest, but with less restraint. One day, after the usual beatings, the other guards left her alone with _**him**_. __It didn't take too long to remove what little of the clothes they had given her. The _**canine**_'s breath was hot on her ears, panting, slobbering in desperation and blind lust, turning off _**his**_ consci__ence__ and violating hers. _**His **_belt was already off from whipping her, so _**his** _pants slipped down and open__ed__ easily enough._

_Phoenix felt Krystal's mixture of revolt and horror and fear like the storm released from Pandora's box, yet he couldn't separate it from his own emotions. Try as he might, he couldn't sever the connection between himself and Krystal; he couldn't escape the nightmare. He had a feeling Krystal intended for it to be that way._

Phoenix scrubbed at his teeth furiously, as if he could lift the sun into the sky with the gesture. As if he could raise the skeletons of sunken buildings from the water. The taste of mint burned in his mouth, eliminating the scent of alcohol as much as it cleansed his teeth.

_He was just as powerless as Krystal when _**he **_approached, arms chained above her head, body robbed of any covering. The _**terrier **_drew closer, genitals erect and throbbing for her. Phoenix screamed a silent cry, but no sound would come. The vixen he inhabited begged and pleaded in his stead. _

_Why are you doing this?_

_ You took him from me_

_ No_

_ You can't_

_ I'm saving myself for him_

_ Please_

_When _**he **_entered Krystal, _**he **_entered Phoenix as well._

After the minty lather had built up too much, Phoenix spat it out over the side of the dreadnought, not quite reaching the water below. He washed the burning paste from his mouth with the bottle he brought, filling his mouth with water, gargling, and spitting it back over the side. Rinse and repeat. Cleansing. Trying to erase the taste in his memory and replace the scent of the terrier with the sight of the sunken city. None of it matched up or spoke the same language. They passed each other like ships in the night.

"There you are."

Phoenix didn't bother to turn as he continued rinsing. Krystal emerged from the hatch onto the deck. Clutching her head and her stomach, she stumbled across the uneven slope the _Great Fox's _fuselage to Phoenix's side. With her lifeless eyes, she traced a line from the sun, down to the horizon, then across the bridge of light the sun reflected on the sea to the _Great Fox. _There, she watched the waves rise and fall against the ship's side, their repeated up and down and over cycle...

Suddenly becoming sick, and no thanks to the hangover she woke up with, Krystal threw up over the side of the ship. Her vomit splattered against the white panels of armor, next to Phoenix's spit.

"Wooooo... glad I got that out. Borrow your toothbrush?"

Phoenix squirted a dab of toothpaste onto his brush before handing Krystal both it and his water bottle.

"Thanks," the vixen said as she stuck the brush into her mouth and set to work. Phoenix merely plopped down beside her again, with nothing to do but burn his retinas out.

Krystal paused while brushing her teeth. "Faw you free had leff me all alone in vere. Where are Falgo and Slibby?" She was barely able to get the words out, her mouth stuffed with paste.

"Gone," Phoenix simply answered. "Falco left this morning. Dropped us off here on Corneria, and disappeared without telling either of us, I guess. He didn't drop a hint where he was going."

"Figgers," Krystal said. "Vat bird doesn't have a real home, affer Zoness was fucked over. Probably doesn't know where he's goin' hisself; _Great Fox _is ve closest fing he's had to a home. And the dweeb? Slibby?"

"Gone too. You didn't notice him leave? It was a couple weeks ago. He... he said goodbye to me, at least. We stopped by Aquas to drop him off." Phoenix smiled, remembering the pleasant farewell. "We anchored off a desert island, and I shared a _piña colada_ with him. It was kinda fun. Wish you had been sober enough to join us..."

"Ha ha, yeah. If vat nerd wants to leave wiffout sayin' goodbye to me, that his business." Krystal stopped talking to rinse and spit. She sat down beside Phoenix and handed him the empty water bottle. Phoenix carelessly dropped it into the ocean. Half of him wanted to ask _why _they had left, but the other half already knew.

"I want to talk with you about the future of the Hunting Party," Krystal began.

"What 'party?'" Phoenix cynically joked.

"Yeah, exactly," Krystal admitted. A breeze picked up, stirring both their mops of unkempt hair into a frenzy. The wind provided a third conversational partner, filling their silence.

"You're the only teammate I have left, Phoenix. Might as well make you my partner in crime... if you're up to it. You see, I have a plan. One Falco wasn't too happy about hearing, but who needs that loafter." She paused, waiting for Phoenix to ask what her plan was. He took the bait.

"So what is this plan?"

"By now, you've seen how they took everything from me. They stole my pride, my innocence, my lover... every shot at happiness I had in this world. I've only got a pair of guns now, but I know how to use them to get what I want."

"And... what _do _you want?" Phoenix coaxed her.

"Revenge."

The wind howled through the empty windows in the buildings, creating an ambient background of chilling, directionless music. Krystal got to her feet and faced the sun, bathing half her body in shadow, while her front half was awash in red light.

"It's why I stayed with Star Fox after he died. I wanted to declare war on Corneria, to expose all the wrongdoing they committed out in the System—wrongs its people couldn't see. Yes, I suppose there's a noble side to it. War crimes, land-grabbing, assassinations, invasions and occupations, torture... any rebel who goes up against that would be considered a hero—but I don't really care about that. It just gets under my skin how Corneria is held up as this bastion of the free, when it's nearly as suppressive as the Venomian Empire. Heh, it adopted and enveloped Venom more than it destroyed it. It used Fox and me as pawns; we're complicit in all of this. But like I said, all of that is secondary."

"But you can't start a war," Phoenix pointed out, interrupting her. "You're just a nameless bounty hunter without a team."

Krystal didn't let Phoenix's voice of reason spoil her rant. "There's a fire growing in the Lylat System. The outer planets are pushing back against Cornerian occupation. We have a powerful network of criminals at our disposal. At the very least, the Neo-Androssians still claim to be at war with Corneria."

"You'd never ally with that insane lot... would you?"

"Already have. I've contacted several of their "generals," and we're in the planning stage of attacking Corneria City."

"You're _what!? _Krystal, you must be joking! You don't know what you're getting into!"

"I know perfectly well what I've started," Krystal spat. "We're going to make them pay for everything they've done. Remember Fortuna? Don't for a second assume I'd forget that. _They're _the reason Sheila and Scarlet are dead. I want to see Corneria burn. I _need _to see it burn."

As the red sun rose above the sea and clouds, it cast a fiery glow over the ruins surrounding the _Great Fox. _The reddish-orange light reflected in Krystal's eyes. She leaned over the side of the ship, out over the sea, clenching her fist.

"I want to fly between the buildings of Corneria City, watching as they're consumed by flames—even casting that fire down myself. I want to walk down Memorial Avenue, toppling the statues of Pepper and all his generals and nameless soldiers. I want to give it to Pepper like he gave it to me, except this time I'll have the courage to look him in the face when I do it. Then, after I've left him to die, I'll stalk the city streets, hunting officials and lawmakers and policemen and government workers down to the last goddamn mailman. I'll kill them all, until the streets are flooded in a foot of their blood."

As Krystal became obsessed with the buildings steeped in the ruby ocean, Phoenix stumbled backwards. He was in utter shock at the transformation the red sunrise had worked on her. But Krystal noticed him backing away from her, and she turned to address him.

"What about you, Phoenix? Will you be there by my side?"

Phoenix's jaw had been open from the sheer terror he was feeling, but he gulped and snapped it shut. All he could manage was to shake his head and stare back at Krystal like a deer in the headlights.

"You want vengeance just as much as me. I can feel it. I know it's there within you. Don't you want to avenge Vince? And the girl?"

"I do, but... becoming a terrorist isn't the way to do it!"

"Phoenix, please!" Krystal squatted down to his level, her wrath-fueled strength giving way to emotional weakness. "I can't do this on my own! Falco, Slippy, _Peppy _left me... how can you leave me all alone? Why can't you do this with me!?"

"Because I've gone too damn far!" Phoenix shouted, surprising both of them. His words echoed between the ruined buildings, reaffirming what he had just said as real. "I'm becoming a killer like you, and my conscience can't take it! It won't allow me to! I believe in a right and a wrong, and killing thousands of people _isn't _the answer!"

Krystal stared back at him, a mixture of fear, sadness, anger, confusion, and frustration. She closed her eyes, and reached into his mind, trying to understand. Phoenix let her in, exposing his thoughts like an open tome. He could feel her searching through them, leafing through the pages, skimming across the paragraphs, bending the spine, trying to put the thesis of his being together, but she came up empty-handed.

Finally, she gave up and rose to a standing position, towering over Phoenix who felt so small before her. "I don't get you. I don't get you," she repeated. "You don't believe in a god, you have such a loose handhold on right and wrong, you've been wronged in so many ways by others, but you refuse to lash out and act on your hate. It just doesn't make any sense."

Krystal turned away from him. She crossed her arms and faced the red sky again, as if trying to refuel her passion.

After a few seconds, she asked, "Is that your final choice?"

Phoenix didn't hesitate. He knew there was a line he couldn't cross, but he didn't know where it lay. He was headed deeper into the bottomless cave, and if he didn't draw the line for himself, he'd never stop descending. He stood up, facing Krystal.

"Yes."

Krystal sighed and closed her eyes. Her eyelids quivered, and she began to shake. She was holding back tears while Phoenix held his breath.

Finally, she spoke with a breaking voice. "Then get. The fuck. Off my ship."

"What?"

Instead of raising her voice, she lowered it to a whisper. "I said, get off my motherfucking ship. Right now, please."

At first, Phoenix didn't know how exactly she expected him to do that, but then she approached him. She grabbed his shirt collar, drawing him closer to her, until their faces nearly touched... but she gave him no goodbye kiss, only daggers in the form of whispered words.

"I don't know why I took you along with me. I knew it would come to this eventually. You didn't have guts or courage in you. Only the mask of a hero, dooming you to let others down. I wanted to believe that you could be another Fox. But you blew it, kid. I should have just... I dunno. Just shot you."

"I love you," Phoenix whispered.

Krystal stopped talking, long enough to stare at him with tears in her longing eyes. But she closed them... and pushed Phoenix over the side of the _Great Fox_, like the rest of the toothpaste, trash, and vomit. He slipped and tumbled down the titanium armor, ending his plummet with a splash as he submerged in the red water. He sank for a few seconds into soaking darkness, but then he opened his eyes, directed himself towards the surface, and swam up. When his head broke the surface, he settled for treading water and looked for Krystal's purple figure atop the dreadnought.

She was gone.

That was that, Phoenix guessed. With nothing else to do, he turned and swam for the shore. He wove his way between red buildings and black alleys, stopping to rest on half-submerged windowsills. When he reached the grassy bank of the shore, he climbed out until he made it over the incline, and shook himself off like a dog. The vulpine stripped his shirt off and began to wring it out over the grass.

Then, Phoenix heard and felt the engines of the mothership begin to rumble. He looked in time to see the _Great Fox _rise above the ruins, then fly out over the eastern ocean, towards the sun.

With an icy, sinking feeling in his stomach, Phoenix realized it was the last time he would ever see Krystal.

* * *

After hiking through the abandoned roads and parks on the outskirts of the city, Phoenix found the nearest bus stop and paid for fare to Corneria City. The bus was nearly empty at that time in the morning, helped by the fact that he had boarded near an abandoned city. Because of this, the vulpine was free to sit in back. Alone.

The night before hadn't been the most restful, which, when coupled with the monotonous droning of the bus, was enough to lull Phoenix back to sleep. He lay down across the backseat row, covering his eyes with his elbow to block out the morning sun. But, while attempting to doze off, his mind began to wander and fret.

What was he going to do. Where was he going to go. Finding his way back to the _Great Fox _and Krystal was out of the question. He could hunt down some underworlders on Corneria and hitch a ride to Sargasso or the Yellow Jack. From there he could try to find a job as a merc outfit or pirate group but... if he was honest, he wasn't that good of a "criminal" yet. Finding a job would be hard, and Phoenix wasn't sure if he could take even one more life. No, he wanted to get away from the killing and death and lawlessness of the outer Lylat System.

What about home? His family would pester him with endless questions. Where had the school shooter taken him after leaving his college. What did he do to make so much money. Why hadn't he come back home sooner. How could he not believe in god? Could he look his parents and siblings in the eye, knowing he was a murderer and a fake? Knowing he could never take part in their lives again? Going home was out of the question as well. And how could he face them after skipping a year of college?

College. There was another option. It was nearing the end of his sophomore year, and he obviously hadn't signed up for any second semester classes. Probably flunked all of his first semester courses by now, though it wasn't like he was learning anything useful. Maybe he could stay there until he figured things out. Lined up a simple job. Paid for his own tuition. Never have to face his family again. Giichi, his old roommate, was probably still there. If anyone would offer him a place to stay without judging him, it would be him.

Phoenix let out a satisfied sigh, resigning himself to sleep in the back of the bus once again. At least he knew where he was going now... but where he had come from still haunted his thoughts, refusing him sleep. What a way to say goodbye. But what choice could he have made? Disappoint Krystal by refusing to follow her wish, or stuff his conscience further down the hole? The wheels of fate all seemed to turn against him. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had made the wrong decision.

Instead of reliving the same parting moment over and over again, Phoenix shifted his thoughts to the night before. Not the horrible memories Krystal shared, but the tender moments afterward. Both had emerged from the dream shaken—for Phoenix, it was like being violated in Krystal's stead. He remembered how she broke down in tears, how all he could do was breath and stare with vacant eyes at the cowering vixen. Her question from weeks prior came back to him: _"Do you believe there are some things we should never see—sights we shouldn't be exposed to?" _What was the use of carrying her burden now that she was gone?

He remembered how he had hugged her for the first time. That night he wouldn't settle for lying back to back, the closest they had ever come to affection before. Such a cold way of expressing love. After that, he turned on the TV and settled on reruns of a late night comedy. He loved the show, and even Krystal laughed at the jokes. He was right in thinking it would make them both forget, get their minds off the memory.

Krystal drank and giggled herself to sleep at his side.

* * *

**A/N: Long time noooo seeeee. It's been over four months since last update, and what a chapter to leave it on, right? Things will return to normal from here on out, and I hope to update more frequently now that I don't have a contest to work on _and _school is out.**

**Also, Vexed's recent 20k chapter of _Chaos Effect _influenced the formatting in this chapter. It allowed me to... get across a difficult scene without spending too much time on it, if you will. Kinda short, but much like Phoenix, I'm struggling on where to take this story. I think I'm on track again, so no worries.**


	23. A Line in the Sand Part 2: 38º 50' N

**Chapter 23: A Line in the Sand**

**Part 2: 38º 50'04.89'' N 77º 18'28.87'' W**

* * *

After hopping between several different buses, Phoenix arrived at his destination around noon. Corneria Technical Institute, the largest college in the district. Being an hour away from the capitol made it the go-to college in the region. Students often grabbed a shuttle or monorail into the city on the weekend. The suburban setting meant the sky wasn't cluttered with ridiculously tall buildings, and the scenery surrounding the campus was composed of forests, creeks, and ponds.

Stepping off the bus, he was confronted with familiar landmarks: statues, fountains, gardens, buildings, restaurants. For Phoenix, the locale brought with it a sandwich of feelings. On one hand, he felt like a sailor seeing land for the first time in ages; he could almost kiss the gum and cigarette-covered sidewalk. He had been away for seven months, and the familiar surroundings set his homesickness to rest.

On the other hand, Phoenix felt a certain uneasiness about his return. He could no longer relate to the students doing homework on benches or rushing back to their dorms to study for exams. It felt _un__real_. At any moment, he expected a masked pirate to jump out from behind a corner and rob him at gunpoint, or the sounds of laser fire to erupt in the central hub.

Phoenix slowed to a stop in the center of the main square, letting the sea of pedestrian traffic flow around him. _This is real, _he reassured himself. _This is safe. There are no more guns, no more mercenaries, pirates, or criminals. No more danger of getting shot or stabbed, no reason to fear for your life. You can trust these people. __**Relax. **_The tod took one last deep breath before stepping into the crowd again, setting course for his home away from home.

His shared college flat was right where he had left it. Still taped to the door was a sheet of paper with all his roommates' signatures on it, written in different colors of marker. Among them, Giichi's and his own. The fact that his name hadn't been crossed out brought a small iota of comfort to him, and he smiled.

With some hesitation, Phoenix knocked on the door. No answer came, which meant all of his flatmates were still out having classes. His stomach growled, and he patted it like an impatient pet. Or they were possibly out getting lunch. Regardless, Phoenix had no trouble letting himself in. In a way he was glad no one was there when he arrived.

As soon as he stepped inside the dimly lit apartment, he was struck by its familiar scent. It was a hodgepodge of combined odors from his friends, their choice meals, deodorants, and the cheap materials used to construct the room. The furniture had been slightly rearranged since last semester, with the couch facing away from the door towards the TV and entertainment setup. As Phoenix stepped further inside, he turned his head to look down the hall towards his room, but settled on the sofa instead.

He sank into the faux leather couch, spreading his arms out over the cushions and letting his head tilt backwards. For once in the past seven months, he finally felt safe, surrounded by the familiar scents, sights, and feelings of his comforting abode.

And then, as he waited longer, he gradually became bored. Phoenix debated turning on the TV and playing some games, but instead distracted himself with the new furnishings set up about the apartment. The chore chart held by magnets to the fridge was different, as his name was removed from it. At least his name was still on the front door. Several new posters adorned the walls, adding to the veritable art museum already there. Several anime posters of scantily clad girls struck battle poses over the sound system, beckoning with overly-large eyes and disarming blushes. Mixed in were military vehicles from a combination of different video games: tanks, mechas, battleships, cruisers, all with extensive lists of stats that were honestly quite meaningless to Phoenix. The tanks and anime girls often battled for dominance on the walls, as their owners were two very different types of nerds.

Staying neutral in the conflict were several pictures of classic sports cars two centuries removed from the present. Unlike current day hovercars, none of them had grav suspensors or clean fuel engines, which Giichi claimed took the fun out of driving. He often told Phoenix they didn't allow you to "feeeeeel" the road or the car beneath you. His prized possession hung in poster-form above their video game collection: a classic red sports car that looked like some sort of dinosaur or frog to Phoenix. He guessed it was stylish.

And then there was that one token roommate who insisted on taping pinup-girls to the walls. Phoenix smirked at the new additions, trying to maintain a calm blood pressure and not get aroused. Then, his eyes found a voluptuous red fox posing halfway undressed from a catsuit. He did a double-take, blinking and rubbing his eyes to get a better look at her picture.

_Is that... Scarlet? How long has that been—_

Cutting his thoughts short, strong arms grabbed him from behind the sofa. They wrapped around his torso, pinning his arms to his chest. None of Phoenix's roommates were that strong or skilled in wrestling, meaning his attacker _wasn't _doing it for laughs.

Phoenix grappled with the assailant, determined not to go down without a fight. Before his seven-month stint with the Hunting Party, he wouldn't have lasted two seconds with the combatant. But, after training for the tough life of a mercenary, he now stood a chance. Recalling many a sparring match with Falco (and even a few with Krystal), he sprang into action.

Phoenix brought his feet up onto the couch, using the leverage to kick off and launch himself backwards. The maneuver threw himself over the sofa, and his opponent stumbled away from the living room, but still managed to maintain his grip on the smaller vulpine. The attacker tried to use the hold to force him to the floor, but Phoenix fought back. With his arms locked at his sides, he was forced to use his feet instead, refusing to bend his knees and get pushed to the floor.

While the two were locked in combat, a yellow cat walked into the apartment carrying several bags of groceries. When he saw the two struggling figures, he slowed to a stop and tilted his head to the side, studying them.

"Run, Giichi!" a deep voice shouted from behind Phoenix's ear. "Too many OC's have already died!"

"Oh, crudbuckets!" The feline took heed from the urgent command, tossing the groceries into the air and dashing back out of the room.

Phoenix continued battling his assailant's hold, but he knew he was losing, and began to grow tired of fighting. His opponent had him pinned from earlier on, and was of a superior build than Phoenix, outmatching him in every area. It was at that point, however, that Phoenix recognized the voice and the gray arm fur of his opponent.

"Okay, okay!" he called out, "Augustine, it's me: Phoenix! You can let go, I promise I won't fight back—or run, or whatever you're scared of!"

With one last grunt, the stronger Lylatian released his grip and heaved Phoenix back towards the sofa. He stepped over to the door, closing and locking it, then turned back towards Phoenix. Standing before the vulpine was one Augustine Strafer, a gray wolf/arctic fox hybrid with tungsten-colored fur. His angled brow and yellow eyes stared intimidatingly at Phoenix, who had never _ever _wanted to be on his bad side. "Nail," as he was sometimes called, was Giichi's personal bodyguard. His roommate came from a rich family, which most likely had numerous enemies. Though Giichi's lifestyle made Phoenix wonder if Nail was there to keep Giichi from accidentally harming himself.

"You've gotten stronger, kid. You surprised me."

Phoenix smirked at the remark. "Yeah, well don't expect to see me on Lethal Lockdown any time soon."

Nail Strafer took up a position between Phoenix and the door, breathing harder but far from out of breath. He pointed a digit at Phoenix. "Don't think I don't where you've been for the past few months, Phoenix. I keep tabs on all of Giichi's friends—especially those who become _bounty hunters._"

_Oh __crap__, _Phoenix thought, _he knows._

"Did you... did you tell Giichi?" Phoenix panted, resting against the back of the sofa.

Nail shook his head. "For all he knows, you're as good as dead. And I hopped to keep it that way, but apparently you had other ideas. Now while the two of us are alone, there are some things I want to set straight with you. I don't trust you. At all. Giichi can't be safe if he rooms with criminals, understand?"

Phoenix raised his hands. "Whoa there, I've given all that up. It's back to college and Corneria for me."

"How do I know his family's enemies didn't hire you to come back and murder him? Or kidnap him for ransom?"

The nob on the front door shook but couldn't turn. Several quick raps on the wood surface followed. _"Aug? Hey Aug, is it all right now? Can you let me in?"_

The gray-furred canid turned his attention back to Phoenix. "Now, I know if I did anything to harm you, Giichi wouldn't speak to me for years. Consider yourself safe, Phoenix... but I'll be watching every move of yours like a hawk. If I find so much as one hair on Giichi's head out of place because of you, you'll wake up one day at the bottom of the ocean. Is that clear?"

Phoenix gulped and nodded. Nail, satisfied with his response, unlocked the door and opened it, allowing Giichi to walk through. His roommate hadn't changed a bit since he last saw him. He was still the same sand cat he remembered: short height, yellowish-tan fur with brown stripes, perpetually smiling face. His overall appearance tricked people into thinking he was much younger than he really was, a fact Phoenix and others constantly teased him about. Phoenix also would have made fun of his name for sounding like the Italian luxury brand, but everyone gets pissed when I make real world references.

Though at the moment Giichi had a concerned expression on his face, it gradually softened into his usual bright smile upon recognizing Phoenix. "No way... Phi, you're back! You've been gone the whole school year!"

Phoenix grimaced, scratching the back of his head. "Well, it hasn't really been that OOOFF!"

For a feline of his stature, Giichi sure packed a punch. The shorter cat ran up to Phoenix and embraced him for a second, before pulling away to study Phoenix from a distance. "Whoa, have you beefed up? What am I saying... _Where have you been the past few months!? _What happened to you after you were kidnapped!? The police came by asking question after question!"

Before Phoenix speak, his stomach gurgled again. "Sorry Giichi, I'd like to answer your questions, but I'm famished right now. I got up to see the sunrise, skipped breakfast, and walked-slash-rode the bus here from Southport."

"Southport? What were you doing at—"

"I'll answer everything over a bite of lunch, okay? I'm dying for some Panda Swift!"

Giichi was opening his mouth to ask another question, but his ears perked up at the mention of the restaurant. "Panda Swift? Mmmm... okay, you win this time. But I want answers, and I'm not losing sight of you again until I get them!"

"Fair enough," Phoenix sighed, following Giichi out the door. He hurried past Augustine, who was holding the door open for them both. He couldn't help but notice his distrusting look.

* * *

Phoenix and Giichi's residence hall was located only a couple blocks away from Panda Swift. In fact, that was the largest factor that had informed their rooming decision. The pair traversed a forested path, climbed some stairs, and walked alongside a large swathe of construction area, where a couple cranes were working on the cement and steel skeleton of a building. They crossed a street and walked through a bare field of grass to a large glass and brick-enclosed building, which also housed a pizza joint and a bagel shop. Once inside Panda Swift, the air conditioning washed away the muggy heat from the outside, and the two fell in line to order their meals.

"They change the special every new season, right?" Phoenix asked, preferring small talk to the bombs he would eventually have to drop on Giichi. "What's the seasonal dish now?"

"Pacific chili shrimp," Giichi answered, taking a deep whiff of the delicious smells wafting over from the buffet counter. "It's amazing. I'm still waiting for the honey sesame chicken to come out, though. They only serve it during the summer. There's this brief window between when school ends and my parents take me back home—the only time I can grab a bite. Boy did I stuff my face last year. It's not like we have Panda Swifts on Thaljista, and no matter how loaded my parents are, they're not getting takeout over a distance of light years."

Phoenix smiled at the statement, but it was his turn to order. He opened his mouth to speak with the server, but he balked when he noticed who it was. A red panda stood on the other side of the counter, waiting patiently with a serving spoon. He pulled off his white chef's hat and scratched his head with the utensil. "_Oh, haro, Fenikkusu._ What you want? _Kappu? Bōru? Purēto?"_

Phoenix's jaw dropped as he stared in disbelief at Kung Furry. Giichi tapped him on the shoulder and whispered in his ear. "Does this guy know you?"

The vulpine nodded slowly. "Yeah... how long has he been here?"

"Never seen him before. Totally new. Now hurry up, I'm starving!"

Regaining his composure and deciding to ignore the bounty-hunter's presence, Phoenix went ahead and ordered. "I'll have a two-entree plate. Orange chicken, pacific shrimp... brown rice. Oh, and a small drink."

The red panda grabbed a black plastic container, heaping Phoenix's choice of food onto it. He made small talk with the tod as he waited in line. "Boy, being Lylat's greatest martial artist no pay well. Have to work hard to buy new hericopteru!"

"Oh, really?" Phoenix casually said. "What happened to the last one?"

"I don know. I think we loss on Fortuna. Damn Cornerians!" And he raised his pudgy balled-fist at the ceiling.

The fox wanted to inform him that he was _on _Corneria, but he settled for a complement instead. "I see your language skills are improving. You're not stuck with just Zonessian anymore."

The massive figure of Jax Taylor stepped over from the kitchen area, dressed in an apron and a tall chef's hat that clashed with his rugged features. "He's been taking lessons from _meeee,_" he said in a gravelly voice.

"Really improving!" Phoenix repeated, hurrying along to the register. "You make a great Cornerian as a second language teacher!" He paid for the meal with his cellphone, then grabbed his cup and filled it up with a mixture of colas at the soda fountain. It was one of the new machines they recently rolled out, only instead of touchscreens, the customer had to stare intently at his selection.

Giichi momentarily joined him at the soda machine, scratching his chin and staring at the screen. "Hmm... let's see if I can hack into this one."

Phoenix frowned at the sand cat. "You can hack into these?"

"Of course I can. Here, watch." Phoenix looked back and forth between Giichi and the soda machine, watching as he navigated the menus. "First, you select the water option. Then, you have to stare at these three bubbles." He gestured to a trio of bubbles in the background graphic. "Top bubble, left, then right. And... viola!" A loading box popped up on screen, which then displayed a diagnostics menu.

"Can't do a whole lot with it," Giichi explained. "Just shows the different levels of the syrups, mixture percentages, usage statistics... The newer models are different, but the hack is just as easy."

"One day, your hacking exploits are going to land you in a mess of trouble," Phoenix warned.

The pair of friends looked around for a place to sit in the packed restaurant, but had difficulty finding one. Phoenix nodded towards the door. "Come on, let's sit outside. I've been cooped up in a spaceship for too long."

"You have?! Come on, you have to tell me where you've been."

"Okay, okay, just let me get a few bites."

They exited the restaurant and sat down beneath a green pavilion. The roof was equipped with solar panels, which allowed students to charge their electronics with clean energy. Thus the green color. They both sat facing the construction work, watching as the cranes lifted steel beams onto the concrete structure.

After his first bite of food, Phoenix had to battle to keep his moans of pleasure from sounding as if he were in sexual ecstasy. "It's been too long, friend," he said to the orange chicken as he wolfed it down. Looking up to chew, he gestured with his chopsticks at the construction work. "That wasn't there last time I checked. It used to be a parking lot. What's it for?"

"It's the new building for the School of Nursing," Giichi spoke carelessly through his stuffed mouth. "But enough about that; I want to hear what happened to _you!_ You disappeared faster than I could blink. This blue-furred fox girl storms into our lecture, shoots over our heads, takes you hostage, and runs off like _that!" _And he snapped his fingers for emphasis. "Your parents were worried sick; they wouldn't stop calling me, and the police dropped by the apartment several times asking questions about you. The chemistry professor and a few officers ended up dead!"

"Don't worry, I can explain everything," Phoenix assured him, also talking through food in his mouth. "That fox you mentioned was just Krystal. She used to be a part of Star Fox. Does that ring a bell?"

Giichi shook his head. "My parents told me a bit about Star Fox before they sent me to Lylat. They didn't have a lot of information, because your government tried to keep them low-profile? You'll have to explain more."

"Alright, that makes sense. Star Fox was a group of mercenaries that basically were the reason Corneria won the Lylat Wars. However, they later rebelled against Corneria, which lead the government to erase all mention of them from the media. You know how some conspiracy theorists call us the Corneria Empire? I don't blame them. Our actions in the rest of the Lylat are excessively shady."

"That's all cool, but where do you fit into this?"

Phoenix paused to guzzle his cola. "Ahhh...2 So, Star Fox went into hiding and re-branded themselves as rebels. Or just criminals. After Krystal took me hostage, they invited me onto the team and took me out into space—"

"Wait-wait-wait. Just like that, they invite you on the team? Let's be honest, there wasn't a lot of potential they could possibly have seen in you, and I'm skeptical they would bring on a gender studies student to their... _team_."

The way Giichi said it with his smiling, trusting face, Phoenix couldn't possibly take offense at it. He knew he was just being honest.

"Well... let's just say, I look a lot like their leader."

"Ohhh, so they used you like a body-double."

Phoenix wrinkled his nose at the phrase. "No... not really. More like for emotional support. You see, their leader was killed by the Cornerians, and I reminded Krystal of him..."

Giichi snapped his digits again. "I get it now. She had a crush on you!"

Phoenix slumped forward and let his chin rest on his arms on the table. "You're the first one to put it that way, but yeah, I guess that's how it was."

Giichi pinched him in the side with his chopsticks. "Then why didn't you get with her? You're shy enough as is, and those are frankly the best odds I've ever seen for your love life."

Phoenix sighed before depressingly shoveling a bite of shrimp into his mouth. "Because she's psychotic."

Giichi's eyes widened "_What?_"

"She's bipolar," Phoenix moaned in distress. "She's an alcoholic, a murderer—she's almost killed me at least twice."

"So a love/hate relationship, right?"

Phoenix raised his eyebrows at Giichi, looking up at him from the tabletop. "You seem awfully chill about this."

Giichi let out a burp that could only be described as cute. "My family has enemies, remember. Plus, Aug tells me some pretty gnarly stories when he feels more talkative."

"Right. Aug..." Phoenix glanced over his shoulder, spotting the bodyguard at a bench further down the sidewalk. He was watching the two friends, making sure Phoenix didn't try anything.

_Am I really a monster now? _the vulpine thought.

A sudden wave of guilt swept over Phoenix. He didn't deserve to be friends with Giichi. He couldn't hide the fact that he was a murderer and a criminal from him any longer. He was about to speak when Giichi snapped open his fortune cookie. The cat read it aloud to him.

"'The rubber bands are heading in the right direction.'" Giichi blinked, examining the small strip of paper from different distances. He repeated the fortune under his breath. "Now there's a new one on me... What's yours say, Phi?"

With disinterest, Phoenix unwrapped his cookie and broke it open. He lifted the scrap of paper up, reading it silently to himself first. _True love is on its way. Make room!_

Phoenix glanced up at Giichi, who in turn studied him with a curious expression.

"No. Just... no." He raised his arm to toss the fortune onto the sidewalk, but Giichi made a grab for it.

"Hey, lemme see!"

"Too late!" Phoenix impulsively chucked the fortune into his mouth, intent on eating it. "Guess the world will never know."

"Aww, come on!" Giichi chuckled, scooting back to his food. "I just wanted to see if it was as weird as mine."

"Trust me, in context, this one was _weirder._"

Giichi scooped up their trash and dumped it in a bin close to their tiny pavilion, leaving them to sip on their sodas. Phoenix leaned on his elbows, staring at the cranes at work across the street.

"You know, I think I could get used to this again. It feels like being in an entirely different world, after prancing around the system for seven months, but now I can finally feel safe again."

"Where'd you go to?" Giichi asked, not having to feign interest.

"Almost everywhere." The vulpine began counting on his fingers as he listed the locations off. "Meteo, Sargasso, Sector Y, Aquas, Zoness, Fichina, Fortuna... none of them pleasant experiences, I admit."

The sand cat gestured at Phoenix's mouth. "Whoa there, turbo, since when did you take up smoking?"

"When did I what?"

Phoenix blinked back at Giichi. Slowly, he realized he had placed a cigarette between his lips and was searching his pockets for a lighter. He took it out of his mouth, staring at it in confusion. "Now when did I..." He must have done it unconsciously, for he didn't even remember putting it in his mouth. He never even remembered taking up smoking in the first place.

"I didn't want to say anything," the feline said in a hesitant voice, "but you've changed a lot over these past months. You've certainly filled out and gained few muscles, but your entire personality is different as well. You're less timid, you talk more, yet you seem low on energy. You just seem out of it, like you're detached. Your eyes look _through _everything, like you're not seeing what's in front of you. I'm... I'm worried about you."

Phoenix's expression dropped, and he looked away. "Yeah, you're right." He could feel Augustine's judgmental stare on the back of his head. Now was as good a time as ever.

"Giichi... I've killed some people."

The sand cat had been noisily sipping on the remnants of his cola, but he abruptly stopped. "_You? You _killed people?" he repeated.

Phoenix nodded. "Yeah. I remember them all. In fact, try as I might, I can't _forget _them. I'm worried that if I try to go back to my normal life, I won't be able to escape them. I was... I was a bounty-hunter. It was my job sometimes."

Giichi seemed horrified, but he didn't make any motion to back away from Phoenix. "Well, do you think you were justified? How'd... how did it first happen?"

Phoenix covered his face with his paws as he continued. "I didn't mean to kill so many. I didn't mean to kill anyone _at all _at first. Krystal and Falco killed people without hesitation, and I tried my best not to, but then... there was this girl I had to protect, and I killed this soldier to save her."

"Wow, but... doesn't that make you feel heroic?"

"But it didn't stop there, and that's just my point! From there, I killed others to save myself, I killed these Cornerians to save a bunch of criminals, I killed..." Phoenix choked on a sob. "I killed Vince, to save Krystal. Vince hadn't ever killed anyone in his life, and I traded his life for a _murderer_, someone who killed for her entire lifetime. After that, I just... plain... _killed._"

As Phoenix broke down into quiet sobs, any other person would have been embarrassed to be with him. Maybe they would have taken off running. But Giichi didn't seem to mind, taking the chance to pat Phoenix on the back. Otherwise, he was at a loss for what to do. It took him a moment to form the words.

"Listen, Phoenix, all of that is behind you now. You've quit the team, right? You're going to go back to a normal life, and you're sorry for what you did. You may have done all those things... but from now on, maybe you can make up for it, right? Why not spend the rest of your life trying to do good? If you try, I bet you could end up helping way more people than you would ever think possible."

"But how will you ever forgive me? How will godever forgive me?"

"Hey, you haven't done anything to hurt _me_, you know. God, on the other hand, is a different matter."

Phoenix sat up, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand and sniffing. "Giichi, I've never asked you this before, but... do you believe in a god?"

"Admittedly, I never gave it much thought," Giichi said, scratching his head. "I guess you could label me a deist. You know, God made the universe like a clock, gave it a few spins, and left to do other things. I imagine, being God, he's got much more important business to attend to— which is why he left us to do our own little things."

_Kinda like your family did when they sent you to Corneria, _Phoenix thought, but he didn't say it.

"We Thaljistanis have a really whacky religion of our own, which is where my present day beliefs come from. My parents and most others believe our god created us in this magical cave back on our home planet. From there he let us out into the world to do our own thing, and watching and maybe guiding us from afar. But... I don't get a lot of it. The dominant belief is that we Thaljistanis are some "chosen race" who are superior to all others. And I just haven't seen our god working in any of our lives. I guess you could say I'm still searching. You?"

Phoenix looked down at the table again. "Nihilist."

"_Nihilist? _That's a bit extreme. Nihilists are all gloomy and stuff. They're lazy, they go on stages, take a dump in front of an audience, and call it "art." Trust me, you don't want to be like them. Religion's good for you in many ways. Sometimes it leads to conflict and discrimination, but other times it does a lot of good for people. You should try being an existentialist; find meaning in whatever you want. So you don't have a god right now?" Giichi shrugged and pointed to the tall red crane working on the School of Nursing's building. "How about that crane? It'd make a pretty fun god."

"A _crane?_"

"Why not? You remember when they were putting in the new library? They had a crane working on that, and a bunch of students built their own religion around it. Same kind of principle, even. The Crane God builds them a house, then leaves its people to their own devices and goes to build other things. Now _that's _a religion I would have a blast in."

"Crane God, huh?" Phoenix began to watch the big red construction machine with renewed interest. Somehow, he knew that moment was another turning point in his life. He wanted to remember it, the moment spent eating his favorite food with his friend, watching as the Crane God rebuilt his life.

Yet something told him it was all a lie.

* * *

That night, the two friends stayed up late playing Giichi's favorite racing game: _Grand Tourer 6. _At the same time, they discussed Phoenix's next course of action.

"Going back to my parent's is totally out of the question," Phoenix joked. "I don't know which would be worse to them; the fact that I've killed a few people, or the fact that I'm an atheist and have taken up smoking. And-and drinking!" Phoenix desperately leaned with his car into the virtual turns, as if that would help.

"This isn't a motion-control game, Phi," Giichi teased him. While Phoenix panicked to stay ahead of his roommate's vehicle, Giichi was much more relaxed, sprawling lazily across the couch. "Your room's still free here; you might as well stay a few more weeks till school ends. After that... why not come back to Thaljista with me? We've got a big family and an even bigger house, I'm sure I could hide you with no problem."

"Would you really do that? Thanks man, that's a big—oh, crap..." Distracted by Giichi's offer, Phoenix ran into the outer edge of a hairpin turn.

"Put it down to selfish reasons," Giichi admitted, grinning as he overtook Phoenix in his slower car. "Ironically enough, I get lonely at home... On second thought, my parents won't take too kindly to having an "outsider" in the house."

Phoenix was too busy trying to catch up to the feline to respond; smoke and small flames emitted from the front of his sports car.

"I admit, they're kinda xenophobic, as are many Thaljistanis. Nail's an exception; he's allowed at the house because he's my bodyguard, and he saved my life a while ago. Though I could set you up in a hotel. I could easily foot the bill with my allowance, but... you might want to get a job anyway."

"Right. Gender studies ain't exactly as lucrative as computer science. You know what? I've been thinking about changing my major and ditching gender studies. After going out into the rest of the Lylat System and meeting a few women, I realized it's all just a load of bullshhh..." he gave up trying to pronounce the word. "I think I'll take up criminology. I've been thinking about what you said—about making up for what I've done and all? I'd like to be able to help criminals change their ways, maybe stop kids from resorting to crime in the first place—"

The instant Giichi crossed the finish line ahead of Phoenix, he jumped up onto the couch and threw his paws triumphantly in the air. "Well look who wins! _And _with the slowest out of 1,200 cars!" Still smiling from his victory, he glanced down at Phoenix, noticing his slightly crestfallen expression. "Hey, wanna tell me some more stories of your adventures?"

Phoenix set his controller down, yawning like a lion. "I'd love to, but I'm pooped right now. Sunrise is way too early for anyone to get up, and I must be suffering from major jet lag. I think I'll turn in for the night. See you tomorrow?"

Giichi reluctantly shut the entertainment system off. "I might be gone when you wake up. I still have classes, and finals are in a few weeks, so it's not like I can skip. Help yourself to whatever's in the fridge. Oh, and try not to give any of our roommates heart attacks—unless you want to help them avoid student loans. They think you're totally dead, and they may blab about you being back."

"I'll keep that in mind," Phoenix assured him. As he retreated to his room, he waved back towards the feline. "Good night, Giichi."

"'Night."

Phoenix left the living room and softly padded down a short hallway to his own room. He had begun the morning without a clue where he would go, what he would do, or what to believe. Now, he was closing that day satisfied with the direction his life was taking. He had a battle plan, and he had the support of his friend Giichi. He might never see Krystal again... but maybe that was actually a good thing.

Maybe he could escape his past. Stop becoming this monster who killed without reason or faith. Stop beating himself up over the lives he had taken. He could make up for it all. He could fix things—make them right.

Smiling stupidly, Phoenix rounded the corner into the dark room and flipped the light on. At the opposite end of his room, a knot of massive centipede segments coiled and writhed in chaos.

The head with its countless beady eyes turned towards Phoenix, and its forcipules clicked and hissed at him. Phoenix almost took a step backwards, but the creature made no move towards him. It did the opposite, in fact. The centipede slithered back as far away from the vulpine as it could, bunching together to take up the least amount of space and protect its head.

It cowered in the corner, shivering.

Afraid.

Of him.

* * *

**A/N: **_**Hunting Party **_**goes slice of life, whaaaat? I think I've hit on every genre at this point: ****comedy, tragedy, sci fi, drama, horror, surrealism, romance, thriller, stoner, and now slice of life and philosophical. Am I missing anything?**

**And **_**this **_**chapter would have been impossible without Nail Strafer. He is the mastermind behind the characters Giichi and Augustine Strafer, ****whom you can find in his stories **_**Just Gotta Ride **_**and **_**Hazardous Contents. **_**B****esides ****just**** licensing them out to me, ****he**** actually ****went the extra mile**** and beta'd this chapter, providing me with great feedback on how to write their personalities, backgrounds, ****and favorite racing games****. ****So, let's hear it for NS!**

** But ****he**** wasn't the only author to ****contribute****. Sheppard gave me one of the two fortunes (surprise surprise, it's the gay one), which he "randomly generated" off a website and had "totally no part in writing it." Yeah, nice try, Shep. ****The other fortune about the rubber bands is one I actually found in a cookie many years ago. I still have it taped to my fridge.**

** Lastly, **_**Hunting Party **_**is only 3-4 chapters from completion, and I'm eager to get it done so I can move on to bigger projects. Thanks for reading!**


	24. A Line in the Sand Part 3: Don't Look

**Chapter 24: A Line in the Sand**

**Part 3: Don't Look Behind**

* * *

** A/N: The ending is fast approaching, and everything is pretty much set in stone, but... I'm curious. What would you guys want to see happen to conclude the story? Where do you predict it's going to go, and where do you _want_ it to go? It might not change how I finish it, but at least I can see how the ending I have in mind will take on with you all.**

** And finally, this will be the last of the character cameos. Immortal Drake had some perfect timing with his contest entry, so I couldn't resist.**

* * *

_"__Phoenix, wake up!"_

The black silhouette of a figure violently shook Phoenix, who hid his face beneath his pillow and turned away in response. In the week he had been at the Cornerian Technical Institute, not once had he risen before he felt good and ready to. Let alone 2:00 AM of all times.

"I don't have classes anymore, remember?" Phoenix grumpily slurred, not wanting to deal with his roommate. "I skipped school this year. Now lemme sleep."

The shaking stopped long enough for the lights to come on, and the pillow was ripped from Phoenix's head. The vulpine squeezed his eyes shut, but then reluctantly opened them to adjust to the light. Blinking away the unwelcome brightness, Giichi's worried face came into focus.

"Phoenix, you have to see this!" he exclaimed, pure terror in his voice. "It's like the world is ending!"

If anyone else had woken him up with such news, Phoenix would have labeled it a prank. Giichi, on the other hand, rarely lied to anyone, even for a joke—especially not to Phoenix. Because of this, Phoenix new his roommate wasn't crying wolf.

He stumbled out of bed, pausing to choose a shirt and a pair of pants from his closet—clothes that hadn't been disturbed since he left months ago. Once he was dressed, he followed Giichi out into the living room, still unaccustomed to the light. He found two of their other flatmates already sitting on the couch: Micah, a small field-mouse, dwarfed by the stocky wolf Enrique next to him. The mouse bit his nails, intently staring at the TV, while the lupine sat with crossed arms and a stoic expression.

Giichi plopped down on a beanbag cushion, and Phoenix dragged a chair over from the kitchen area next to him. Once he got himself comfortable, he looked up at the TV. After just a few seconds, his expression matched the rest of those in the room.

Corneria City was burning.

Every station, regardless of type, was broadcasting the destruction. Wide panoramas from news choppers showed the city in flames; a network of star-studded shadows reaching into the sky—buildings with glittering lights standing out against the black void of night. Pillars of smoke rose into the air, lit orange from fires at their sources and yellow from the surrounding city lights. A collage of shaky camera footage from civilians' mobile devices showed the devastation from up close; police cars scrambling through the city, gunfire, explosions, and sirens filling the air, and Cornerian citizens running chaotically in the streets. Each feed would end with black-clad soldiers coming into view, often firing on the unlucky cameraman before the stream went dead and inevitably switched to a different one.

"This _can't _be real," Giichi murmured.

"It is," Phoenix flatly stated. The rest of his roommates gave him questioning looks; he had accepted the reality of the catastrophe far too soon. And for good reason. Krystal had predicted it.

_"...__tnesses are giving conflicting reports on the terrorists__' affiliations," _one news anchor reported. _"__Most agree there are former Venomian __soldiers__ present. __Others claim they __have seen Titanian rebels,__ various space pirates, __or__ rogue mercenaries, but these claims are rarer. The Cornerian Intelligence Agency is looking into the matter, but have yet to release any official statement."_

As she spoke, the feed displayed clips of the invaders from a myriad of different camera sources. All wore black tactical gear and masks, but some were easily identifiable as primates and reptilian species.

_"__The terrorists targeted military bases located in the city itself, as well as police and fire stations. __Local law enforcement and military have been compromised, but reinforcements are being drawn in from surrounding areas. If you are in Corneria City, officials urge you to evacuate immediately. First, check the streets and make sure no terrorists are present. If you see terrorists, lock yourself inside, and do not attempt to go out. If the streets are clear, take highways 364 and 79 out of the city. Take nothing but your family and water supplies with you."_

"How could this happen," Micah lamented in disbelief.

"They came in on foot," Phoenix reasoned. "Corneria City has the air completely covered, meaning they had to meet up and attack the city on the ground. They crippled military bases and municipal departments first, knowing that would be their only opposition. Now they're free to wreck havoc on the rest of the city. They're not terrorists; they're soldiers."

"But there's no point to this!" Micah argued. "The Venomians lost the war a decade ago. They can't expect to take Corneria over and hold the entire city! It doesn't make any sense!"

The camera feed switched to footage from Memorial Street, where monuments and statues for the heroes of the Lylat Wars stood. _Usually _stood. The statues had been defaced, spray-painted, demolished, or toppled to the ground. The feed jumped to a clip of General Pepper's own statue falling, as black-clad soldiers pulled it down with chains.

"There's your answer," Phoenix said. "They're making a statement. They're making a threat. The Lylat Wars may have ended in a way they didn't like, but the conflict hasn't gone away. You've seen the footage; Neo-Androssians, Titanian Rebels, space pirates, criminals, mercenaries... they all have different reasons for being here, but they're all unified by the same desire; to watch Corneria burn."

"You sound like you know these people," Enrique half-joked. Phoenix and Giichi exchanged glances, but said nothing.

Phoenix coughed, then excused himself from the room. Just to be safe, he ran back into his room and checked the mipmap on his wrist comm. As he feared, he wasn't alone on the planet.

30 kilometers away, in the midst of Corneria City, a purple dot blinked.

* * *

From 2:00 AM when Giichi woke Phoenix, to 6:00 PM in the afternoon, the four roommates almost never left the TV. Early in the morning, they all received messages announcing the cancellation of school for the rest of the week; exams and other end of the year events were bumped to the next week instead. Micah, apparently the only one in the dorm who could cook to save his life, prepared breakfast and later lunch. They left the apartment complex once or twice to get a breath of fresh air, or in Phoenix and Enrique's case, to have a smoke. Otherwise, they were faithfully glued to the news feed.

By 4:00 AM that morning, Cornerian soldiers and police arrived from neighboring districts. By 5:00, they had flushed out the last of the terrorists from Corneria City and were pursuing them through the surrounding area.

An attempt was made to level CDF Headquarters—a rocket-shaped tower with a bowl-like top that stood near the coast. The terrorists had no success, as the explosives they brought weren't enough to compromise the building's structural integrity. When they tried bringing more, the Tower Guard simply repelled them from the building's base. By that time, Cornerian soldiers were pouring into the city, and they made a hasty retreat.

Come daybreak, the CDF identified the bodies as a mix of outlaws: Venomians comprised the largest demographic, with smaller percentages of rebels from Cornerian-occupied planets, and free-lance mercenaries. Ten Cornerian soldiers or civilians had died for every one terrorist.

Despite all attempts at demolishing CDF HQ, Pepper survived the attack. In the daylight, news companies filmed him giving a series of speeches to the cleanup crews, medical staff, and other first-responders. Needless to say, he fiercely decried the attack and vowed to avenge the fallen, while praising the citizens and soldiers who resisted.

And then, as camera crews poured over the smoldering ruins unabated by enemies, the images of horror began to pour in. Remains of civilians who jumped from burning buildings. Innocent families massacred in the streets. Wounded overflowing from the hospitals and public buildings to cots on the street. Lumpy body bags zipped up, patiently waiting to be carried out of the city en masse. As much as Phoenix hated the Cornerian government, he knew this wasn't the answer. He felt his heart fall out a trap-door in his stomach with each new child found crying in the rubble-covered streets. _This isn't the answer, _he repeat to himself.

By 6:00 in the afternoon, the roommates had had enough of the gruesome images dominating each news channel. Enrique shut the TV off, and no one complained. The wolf and field mouse took the opportunity to call on their families again, while Phoenix decided to hit the sack. Barring the hour of sleep he got the night before, he had stayed up all night and morning watching the news. Even with the horrific images dogging his mind's eye, sleep was threatening to pull him down.

The vulpine yawned uncontrollably as he walked down the short hallway, flipping off the light switch as he entered the room.

As he walked towards the bed, strong arms suddenly grabbed him from behind; one pinned his own arms to his side, while the other arm smothered his nose and mouth with a chemical-soaked cloth.

Phoenix was too tired to struggle. As darkness flooded his vision, he didn't fight it. He wasn't frightened, he wasn't angry, he wasn't worried. He was just tired of all the bullshit. The last thing he thought before he blacked out was how rude and unnecessary the drug was; he would have gladly fallen asleep on his own.

* * *

When Phoenix's eyes blinked open again, he realized he was bound and lying on his side in the backseat of a car. He felt the engine humming against his cheek through the seat cushion, but otherwise couldn't see any of the landmarks passing by the window, which was too high up for him. He glanced at the clock in front, noting that he had only been asleep for three hours. He felt slightly rested. But not enough.

Though it was dark outside, he could make out the driver's face by the orange street lamps that flashed by every few seconds.

"What was that for, Augustine?" Phoenix groaned. He didn't test his bonds or even attempt to sit up, knowing it was pointless and not worth the effort.

"If you know where a cobra is hiding, why give it the time to strike?" the hybrid quipped, eyes still fixed on the road. "You know I can't have a bounty hunter socializing with my charge. The odds are too great that someone will get hurt."

Phoenix sighed. "Alright, I get it. But why take me away now of all times? Immediately after the biggest armed conflict since the Lylat Wars? I feel this has something to do with the attack."

Nail remained silent for the moment, either ignoring him or just focusing on driving. The street lights disappeared, plunging them both into darkness.

"I made a deal with someone. Someone who could guarantee Giichi's name _never _makes it onto another hit list in the Lylat. The offer was too good to refuse. You just happened to be collateral for that. So... sorry, Phoenix."

"Again, I don't blame you, but who is your boss, and why is he so interested in me?"

"You'll meet him in due time," was all the hybrid bothered to answer.

Phoenix let his head slump against the seat cushion. His thoughts shifted to who Augustine's employer could be. A horrible notion entered his head, and he felt the car leave his stomach behind.

"Is it Meinhard?" he simply asked, masking his fear.

"Your former employer? No."

Phoenix momentarily relaxed, but if not Meinhard, then who could it be?

Nail finally brought the car to a stop. He got out, stepping around to the backseat and opening Phoenix's door. He sliced the ropes binding his feet, but left the restraints around his paws. He gestured with the knife. "Out."

Phoenix wiggled as best as he could from the car, struggling to rise to his feet once he got out. He looked around, realizing Nail had parked the car in a dockyard. Blue and red shipping tanks were stacked on either side, forming a valley that lead to the sea. The alley was dimly lit by fluorescent lamps, some of which caught the mist rising from the blacktop. Augustine nudged him from behind, prompting him to walk forwards.

Halfway down the valley of shipping containers, the two canids came upon a cheap plastic desk. Several guards stood in a broad diameter around the desk, while a sole figure sat behind it. A cigarette lit his face, and he had his boots propped up on the surface. Besides his feet, the desk also held an antique radio playing forgotten tunes, an ashtray, and a half-drained mug of beer. It was just as Phoenix remembered the setup from months prior. The only new addition was a framed photograph whose back was turned to the tod.

"Mr... O'Donnell?" Phoenix asked skeptically.

"Please, I told you to call me Wolf," the lupine growled. "Now that we're enemies, I think we're at least on a first name basis."

The wolf was dressed in the same attire he wore when Phoenix met him on Sargasso: white silk shirt, black vest, and red tie. It would still take some time before the vulpine got used to the eye patch and prosthetic arm and leg.

"Enemies?" Phoenix questioned, looking down at Wolf, though it was clear who was in the position of power. When they had met before, Wolf didn't have a ring of highly trained guards surrounding him.

"Yes, Phoenix. _Enemies. _Not something we want to be... right? Allow me to explain." Wolf extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray before continuing. "You see, I'm in a jam. A group of Neo-Venomians and other misfits under my protective wing just went rogue and tried to wipe out Corneria City. Now, I've never been on friendly terms with Pepper's bunch, _buuuut_ there are times when they get _more _antagonistic than usual. This, Phoenix, is one of those times."

"The Cornerians had it coming," Phoenix sneered. "This was revenge for Fortuna, where they nearly wiped _your _men out."

"Ah, Fortuna..." Wolf stared at the photograph on his desk for a moment, but continued talking. "And Fortuna was the Cornerian's attempt to pay us back for decimating their fleet at Sargasso. Which, depending on how far back you look, was in response to our defending the Papetoon distilleries—but you get my point. I bet you've seen the news, unless you always live with your head buried in a hole. Pepper's stepping up his rhetoric. The people are angry with us outlaws, regardless of who was involved. Cornerian companies are cutting off trade and other services with us. The black stock market is plummeting towards hell. And another attack on Sargasso is in the planning stages." He placed a metal paw on his chest. "_I _am in a sticky situation here!"

"Well, I'm not the best bounty hunter in the Lylat, but I'll give whatever hair-brained scheme you have in mind a shot," Phoenix joked.

Wolf's expression fell. "You want to know how you fit into this? Pepper contacted me personally—yes, he has a direct line to Sargasso—and he's giving me a way out. The recent attacks mean a couple of things to him. One: his attempt to turn us outlaws against each other failed on Fortuna. Pepper fears the rest of the Lylat may unify against him and attack Corneria. The joint attacks against the capital proved that possibility. And two: he's scared of Star Fox."

"S-Star Fox?" Phoenix stammered. "It's the Hunting Party now, and we split up completely as of last week."

"Star Fox and Hunting Party may be dead, but... you know what your namesake does, Phoenix?" Wolf smirked at the fox as he sipped his beer.

"I see what you did there."

Wolf chuckled at his own joke. "Pepper is worried Star Fox might rise again and unite the System against Corneria. Your 'team' has the evidence to expose their misdeeds, and now that it's fought on both sides of the law, you have the potential to unify both criminals _and_ loyal Cornerians against Pepper. Get the picture now?"

"Like I said, we split up."

"Fine. Where'd the rest of your team go?"

Phoenix eyed Wolf with distrust. "Slippy's fighting with the Aquan Resistance Force. Falco I assume went to the Zoness refugee colonies. As for Krystal... I have no idea where she is."

Wolf raised the eyebrow above his one good eye. "Oh really?" he snapped his fingers.

Nail grabbed Phoenix's arms, removing his wrist comm. He fiddled with it for a few seconds, then tossed it onto Wolf's desk. The lupine examined it, then turned it towards Phoenix and tapped the screen with a claw. "This says differently." Krystal's indicator showed the vixen somewhere on Corneria.

"What does Pepper want with us!?" Phoenix demanded.

Wolf set the comm unit down. "Well, when the old geezer initially contacted me, he wanted your heads gift-wrapped and a note of apology. Not yours, Phoenix; he doesn't know you exist. But if he knew about your potential and the havoc you could start in the Lylat... trust me, you'd be Lylat's No. 1 most wanted, displacing me for once. But I bartered with him, and I managed to ease your team's sentences. I have to guarantee that neither Krystal, Falco, Peppy, or Slippy meet up again."

"Peppy?"

"Another old-timer. You haven't heard of him by now? Anyway, if I can manage it so Krystal never lifts a finger to harm a Cornerian, I can guarantee her safety."

"I'm still waiting to hear what you want with me if Pepper doesn't know I exist," Phoenix mumbled.

"Here's the catch," Wolf said, tapping the desk with his claw. "Krystal isn't answering my calls. She has shown no sign of easing up against the Cornerians. And, to make things worse, she is killing left and right as we speak. Not just Cornerian soldiers. _Citizens_, Phoenix. Unprovoked killings of innocents. What if she runs into your mom or dad? She's sparing no bullets, pup. She's on a _murdering _spree."

Phoenix gulped, suddenly grasping the weight of the situation. "So, if I can't get her to stop killing, you have to put her down?"

Wolf grinned. "Precisely. Which I'd like to avoid if possible."

"What do I do?" Phoenix immediately asked.

"You seem to be the only one Krys cares about. I can't count the times she's told me to fuck myself with my metal finger. Falco and Slippy are on completely different planets, and she wouldn't listen to them anyway. You, Phoenix, are different. If anyone can reason with her, give her puppy-dog eyes and make her stop this fit of violence, it's you. All you have to do is tame that bitch, make her complacent, and we'll take her away from the Cornerians—some place safe and sound."

"On one condition," Phoenix spoke up. "I go alone."

Wolf let out a guffaw that echoed through the shipyards. "Look who's making demands! This skimpy tod who's got his hands tied behind his back and guns trained on him from every angle!" Wolf swung his feet off his desk and leaned forward, fixing his purple eye on Phoenix with a deadly stare. "You don't call the shots, kid. I'm sending the most powerful bounty hunter I have with you, to make sure things don't go wrong. If you can't calm Krystal down, she'll let her have it, and I'll actually have a head to give to Pep—"

One of the guards on Wolf's left swiftly raised his gun and fired upon his leader. Phoenix stumbled back and flinched at the shot, but when his ears quit ringing and he opened his eyes again, Wolf was still breathing.

The lupine had caught the bullet with his prosthetic arm.

As the horrified guard stumbled backwards, the sound of numerous weapons clicking filled the alley between the shipping containers. Wolf flipped up his eyepatch, revealing a blue cybernetic eyepiece that took the place of his lost eye. It was trained on the guard's gun, with signs of a holographic HUD focusing on the smoking barrel.

"Really, Pepper?" Wolf said, staring down the rogue guard. "You tried to kill me, when our deal was moving forward so well?" In a blur faster than the naked eye could follow, Wolf's metallic arm flicked the bullet with so much force that it embedded itself in the chest of his attacker. The rogue guard gasped, stumbled backwards, and promptly fell to the floor.

Wolf wasn't pleased. "The Boss" took another swig from his beer. When he set it down, he closed his eyes, scrunched up his forehead, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I... I've had a really bad day, fellas. Half of the outlaws under my management decide to fuck up Corneria, I get blamed, I have to deal with this whiny pup... and now Pepper pulls this shit. I'm done. I'm not gonna play any school-yard games trying to find which of you scrubs were involved in this assassination attempt." He snapped his fingers again, eyes still closed. "Mamba, kill 'em."

Phoenix didn't even hear the bullets fire. He didn't see the knives flash through the air. Yet within seconds, snipers fell from the tops of the crates or shipyard cranes, and soldiers keeled over on the ground with either knife blades or bullets embedded in their flesh. When all of Wolf's own men were silently killed, a black clad feline dropped down into the alley, landing expertly on the street.

"Fuck me," Wolf mumbled, still rubbing his head as if he had a migraine. He gestured to the newcomer with his free paw. "Phoenix, I'd like you to meet Black Mamba. Most skilled assassin in the Lylat. The few that know her name can fit on a short list which she undoubtedly has memorized. Congratulations, you're now on that list." He then gestured to Augustine, who had dived into his car once the killing started. "You too, Nail."

"Thanks."

"Phoenix, you'll work alongside Mamba to track down Krystal. Mamba, once you get in range of Krystal, let Phoenix proceed alone. You are not to show yourself at all, unless Krystal refuses to lower her weapons. If she's not complacent... let her have it."

Black Mamba turned toward Phoenix, sizing him up. Phoenix took the same opportunity to study her. He remembered seeing her before at Sargasso, along with Krystal's warning never to cross her. She was a black leopard—the same species as Star Wolf's Panther Caroso. She was rather small for an assassin of her caliber, but he assumed she used her size for increased agility and speed. She had spiky violet hair that was almost black; it swept down the sides of her face with the appearance of war paint, but groomed so as not to obscure her eyes. Once their eyes locked, in fact, Phoenix noticed something he had only recently began to identify in certain people; those were the eyes of a killer. Narrowed to golden slits, cold, analytical, like twin globes of death. They had more hate in them than Krystal's, he realized. Probably had seen more death, too. She wore a form-fitting catsuit that added practically zero width to her body, jet black as her fur. Right now it was decorated with purple highlights and gold trimmings that matched her eyes, but that was only when she wasn't in action. They had only reappeared after she finished killing Wolf's private guard.

She turned back to her employer, placing a small box to her neck before she spoke. _"I work alone." _Phoenix's eyes widened. The box vibrated as she spoke, giving her voice an almost robotic quality. It lacked any pitch modulation, devoid of emotion or emphasis.

"Not you too, Mamba? Even after you saw me lose my temper?" Wolf groaned. "I'm the one paying you; you'll do as I say. Take the squirt and find Krystal. If you're lucky, you'll finally be able to test your strength against her. However, under no circumstances are you to attack if she is complacent. Understood?"

Black Mamba paused, glaring at Wolf. _"Yes."_

"Then go. Get out of my sight. And remember, Phoenix, you owe me a favor."

Mamba swiped Phoenix's wrist comm off Wolf's desk, but as she passed, Wolf grabbed her arm. He pulled her closer and whispered so Phoenix couldn't hear, _"You know what to do, correct?"_

She gave an undetectable nod in return, then stepped over to Phoenix. Grabbing his arm, she lead him away. The vulpine noticed she was surprisingly strong for her size.

After the two disappeared from the shipyard, Wolf sighed and looked down at the picture of Sheila on his desk.

* * *

Once they were out of sight, Mamba slapped the wrist comm over her own arm. Phoenix continued jogging after her, but running with his hands tied behind his back was difficult.

"Hey, Miss? Could you untie these ropes real quick? They're beginning to chafe."

The feline cast her steely gaze over her shoulder before reversing her direction. She stepped back towards Phoenix, unsheathing a black knife and deftly cutting his bonds with one swipe. As the coils of ropes fell to the ground, Phoenix fell in line behind her and they both resumed their jog. The vulpine marveled how someone even smaller than him could become the "best assassin in the Lylat," according to Wolf. She looked younger than himself, too.

They rushed on through the streets in silence. Phoenix's shoes made repeated _thumps _against the blacktop, but someone the jungle cat managed to run without making a sound. She seemed like a phantom the way she flew over the urban terrain.

After they left the suburbs, they turned off into a forest that bordered a coastal road. For the most part, the road was devoid of traffic, but every once in a while a lone car would pass by. When the road curved in towards the mainland, and was met on the opposite side by more forests, Mamba paused at the top of an incline. She gestured for Phoenix to stop, and placed the same electronic box against her throat.

_"We cross here," _she buzzed more than talked.

The pantheress was about to dive down the hill and across the street when police sirens carried towards them on the wind. Feline and vulpine ducked behind the hill, waiting patiently. As the cars approached, Phoenix noticed Mamba's breathing was completely inaudible, while his own was ragged from exertion.

The first of the police cars passed, but more seemed to be on the way; perhaps it was a convoy on its way to help Corneria City. Phoenix was getting bored after not having spoken in the past quarter hour, so he decided to make some conversation.

"So... we've had a couple close run-ins before, Miss...?"

Her golden slits of eyes glowed back at him in the moonlight. God they were uncomfortably close.

"...Mamba," Phoenix settled on. "I caught a glimpse of you on Sargasso Spaceport, and we found your trail on Fortuna. What were you doing on Fortuna, by the way? The Cornerians promised everyone something different, so I figure you were looking for something as well."

Her eyes darted to the police cars passing by the forest, casting dazzling red and blue lights between the trees. Satisfied none were stopping, she spoke.

_"__Was looking for__ an item I was hired to __retrieve__. Found a failed bioweapon instead. Called off the mission. Fin."_

She was a lady of few words, Phoenix noted. Maybe she didn't like speaking with the voice aid. Well, he'd have to pick up her conversation slack.

"Yeah, we found some of your fur on the lock panel to the gate. We ran into the same monster you did. Man I hate centipedes. I hate finding them when I garden. Give me the willies. But then multiply that by about ten-thousand times, amiright? That thing is uglier than my uncle, but we still managed to kill it. You see, we lead it outside, then closed the gate on it and severed it into two pieces. Bug juices went _everywhere._"

The pantheress looked at Phoenix with a new amount of respect. _"__You killed it?"_

Phoenix scratched his chin, embarrassed but prideful. "Well, I went up against the head while Falco closed the gate. It almost got Krystal, too, but I... _we _fought it off."

Mamba seemed to contemplate Phoenix's story. She looked down the incline at the passing red and blue lights, which caught in her amber eyes. She raised the voice-thingy to her throat.

_"I didn't come for that item I mentioned. That was secondary. My main interest was killing the Venomians."_

When she spoke, it sounded like she was a dying machine.

"You should have teamed up with the Cornerians, then," Phoenix joked, relieved that she was becoming more talkative. "But what do you have against the Venomians? They kill someone important to you?"

Mamba nodded. _"__They wiped out my village on Fortuna. Where I was born. I wanted to fight them, but I was too young. I missed the war, so now I hunt the Neo-Androssians instead. __But when I arrived, I found the Venomians all dead. That... that was the biggest disappointment.__"_

"Everyone has their personal vendetta," Phoenix commented. "It's what seems to make the Lylat spin."

The last of the patrol cars passed, and the pantheress leapt down the hill. Phoenix followed closely behind, and they crossed the road together. They entered the forest on the opposite roadside, hanging left towards the coastline and the beach. Phoenix could smell the salt from the sea and hear the waves crashing against the shore. Even in the woods, Mamba somehow managed to stay silent.

After treading through the new forest for several minutes, the black pantheress held up a hand for them to pause. She sniffed the air, then gestured for Phoenix to follow her towards the shore.

The beach was unusually bright. Overhead clouds glowed a faint orange and yellow, reflecting city lights back onto the planet's surface. Further North—behind them—Corneria City still burned into the night with persistent fires, also providing a source of light. And between the cloud cover, a backdrop of stars blessed the beach with their light. Phoenix remembered going crabbing on the beach with his friends and family, only this time they wouldn't need flashlights.

The feline and vulpine slowed to a halt. A dark lump lay in the sand. Mamba knelt down and flipped the body over, revealing it to be hapless jogger. He met his fate in the form of a bullet to the head.

"Was it... was it Krystal?" Phoenix asked, worried.

Mamba combed the surrounding sand, finally locating an object and handing it to Phoenix. It was a brass shell casing. Phoenix pocketed the shell after rolling it between his fingers.

"That's Krystal's alright. Guess we're on her trail."

It took no effort at all for the pantheress to locate Krystal's footprints. They barely had to follow them at all. Someone in Krystal's state of mind would take the most obvious direction—traveling along the shore, killing anyone she met.

Getting bored once again, Phoenix let his curiosity get the better of him. "Hey, um... BM. I'm sorry for asking, but... what happened to your voice?"

She fixed him with a blank look over her shoulder. _"__Why would I tell you?"_

Phoenix shrugged, glancing up and down the coast awkwardly. "I dunno. Because you've never told anyone else before?"

Mamba slowed her pace until she stopped completely. Turning to Phoenix, she unzipped the collar of her catsuit and turned down the flaps. In the ambient night light, the vulpine saw a criss-cross pattern of scars. She cocked her head, grinned, and placed the speech device next to her throat. _"Satisfied?"_

Phoenix peeled his eyes off the lightly-colored scars. "I feel like that would make for one interesting story."

_"Wouldn't it?" _She zipped her catsuit's neck back up and continued walking. Phoenix hurried to follow her.

"You don't seem much for conversation," he observed. "Must be your voice box machine... thing."

_"Electrolarynx."_

"Yeah, that. I understand you not wanting to talk. You're an introvert like me, but I guess I'm closer to the extrovert side of the spectrum than you are. It's fine, I'll just do all the talking. Introverts are great listeners. Sometimes when Krystal would have nightmares I'd tell her stories or put on a TV show or something. She needed someone to just plain talk. And I'm usually not this talkative, but I figure it's worth it. So... what do you want me to talk about?"

Black Mamba paused in her tracks, giving Phoenix a confused look. She thought for a moment, then continued walking.

_"Krystal. Why you __care about__ her."_

Phoenix regretted opening himself up in such a way. Since Mamba had opened up about her scars, he figured the least he could do was oblige her. As he trailed closely behind the feline, he looked out over the dark water, where the sea rose up to meet the clouds in a razor-fine horizon.

"Alright. That's a good question. Why do I care about her... I mean she's pretty and all, but..." They passed a brown leather gun belt on the beach, with two empty holsters. "She's got this fiery personality that could change with the flip of a coin. Whenever she's not occupied, she gets antsy, like she's a beast who needs to be let out of her cage and run free. Nothing can hold her back for long. She's energetic, she takes me along on her wild adventures. And no matter how much I complain, I actually enjoy going along with her, getting shot at, flying ships, fighting for my life. It's exciting, and she's always there to guide me through that experience. I want to be with a person like that; someone who can't be contained."

The black-furred cat pointed out a pair of empty bullet clips in the sand, lying beside Krystal's foot prints. _"And when she becomes too free-spirited? And kills?"_

Phoenix frowned when he noticed the spent clips, their contents undoubtedly embedded in some poor innocents. "When she's like this... I simply remember when she's not. Like I said, she changes her mood on a whim. She's unpredictable, which scares me... but at the same time, I like that."

A ways away from the ammo clips, they found her boots discarded in the sand. From then on, Krystal's footprints were bare.

"Beneath her fur and skin," Phoenix continued, "I know there's something else. Something soft and delicate, like a flower waiting out a hurricane in a cave. I think there's hope for her. She's seen a lot and done a lot, and she pretends as if she can't go back... but something in my gut tells me she's wrong. She's been betrayed all her life. She needs someone she can completely trust and open up to; someone to guard her back and _not _betray her. I think I'm the only one who can be that person."

A pair of gunshots cracked across the beach like thunder. Black Mamba halted and pointed to a violet dot on Phoenix's wrist comm.

_"She's up ahead. Remember your job. Subdue her... or I will. I'll be waiting." _The pantheress finally returned his wrist comm. _"Good luck," _she wished him before dashing off towards the trees.

"Hey BM!" Phoenix called after her, cupping his paws over his mouth. "Remember not to work alone!"

To his satisfaction, the leopardess visibly slowed down as Phoenix's words sank in. Then, without turning back, she picked up her pace and disappeared into the forest.

* * *

Two soft thuds hit the sand, and Krystal ejected the empty cartridges from her Berettas. She had just offed a beach-combing couple, amused that she could so easily ruin their last moments together.

Her pistols felt light in her paws, signaling that they needed to be reloaded. She reached for her gun belt, but her hand came up empty. She had discarded the belt and holsters after running out of bullets. No sense in carrying extra weight around.

Her right gun was empty from a usage imbalance. She tossed her guns between her paws, so that the left pistol—the one with bullets remaining—was now gripped with her right paw. The other she'd have to keep for show. She was not nearly done with Corneria. Oho no. She was just getting started.

"...Krystal?"

The vixen whirled around, both guns cocked and ready. The interloper stood on the edge of a sandy slope that lead down towards the shore, only a head taller than her.

"Phoenix?"

When the vixen recognized her former teammate, her guns began to shake. He obviously saw the condition she was in, as his gaze lingered on her, and his brow knit. Her violet hair was dirty, unkempt, and long, hanging over her face and eyes like a patch of nettles. Though it was only a week since they parted ways, her condition had continuously worsened as she denied herself care and food.

But besides her appearance and state of health, she stood guilty before the vulpine; she had outright murdered civilians in front of him. As a result, Krystal found herself cowering away from Phoenix. She took an uncertain step back, turning away to hide the half of her face speckled in blood. She covered the visible half with her left paw, refusing to let go of her gun as she did so. The other firearm she kept unsteadily trained on Phoenix.

The vulpine crouched and began sliding down the sandy incline, but Krystal screamed, "Stay back! St-stay back!"

Phoenix halted his descent, but outstretched his paws towards her. He spoke softly, but with a subtle firmness to his words. "Krystal, listen to me. This needs to stop now. It's not too late. Put those away, or give them to me. You don't want to hurt anyone else."

"Don't come any closer!" Krystal warned. She fired over his head, wasting one of her precious few bullets. How many did she have left? One? The gun felt awfully light. Maybe it was just from carrying it so long.

"This, um... this seems awfully familiar," Phoenix chuckled, attempting to mask his nervousness. "Remember when we first met? You barged into my class and caused everyone to go into hysterics. But I kept my head and came down those steps to approach you. Might have been the most scared I felt in my life. Well, barring recent events."

Krystal had no intention of giving up her last bullet, and she kept it trained on the vulpine's chest. His words awoke in her a distant memory, a pleasant one she knew by heart. She stopped her backwards retreat, letting the fox gain some ground on her.

"You fired a warning shot to scare me. I think I flinched, maybe pissed my pants, but I forget. I'd be an idiot with no reflexes if I hadn't. But that didn't stop me then, and it won't stop me now. How about this; what say we start over?"

"Wh-what?" Krystal stammered, removing the paw that hid her face.

"You need a hostage to get out of here, don't you? Why don't I just be that hostage again? Go on. Take me prisoner. Take me off Corneria and show me the worlds that lie between the stars. Let's go on an adventure all over again."

"You... you want to come back with me?" Krystal asked in disbelief, voice still hoarse and shaky. At this point, Phoenix was nearly in arm's reach of her. He stopped, hands palm-upward, ready to accept her weapons.

"Just give me your guns, and we can start this all over," Phoenix gently assured her. "Trust me?"

Eventually Krystal relaxed her defensive posture. She rose up to meet the vulpine, slowly extending her guns towards his outstretched hands. Her whole body shook inexplicably. Her eyes darted towards his, but every time they met she nervously glanced away again. Once her digits met his, however, she felt her fear evaporate. She felt strong enough to stare into his eyes, her face still covered by a veil of ragged hair. Her fingers began to relax, turning her silver-glinting pistols into Phoenix's grasp. Time lost meaning in that moment, as it simply ceased to apply. As if every leaf of paper in a book was torn away, leaving behind only the current page to read over and over again. The waves broke upon the shore, rushing up the sand and flooding her bony ankles in cool water. The salty breeze whipped between them, stirring up their hair. And Phoenix's warm fingers against her own cold paws.

And then in an instant, the page was lost to the wind.

A wraith appeared behind Krystal; she noticed its presence too late. The pantheress grabbed her right arm and pressed a double-barreled handgun to it. The shotgun pistol fired, ringing in their ears and illuminating the sand and surf. When Krystal looked down, she was met with the bloody stump where her paw used to be.

She fell to her knees, clutching her wrist as red plasma stained the white sand. Yet before she could cry out, the assassin struck again—this time blasting away her left paw at point-blank range.

_Thud. _Phoenix dropped to the sand in front of her, scurrying backwards in horror. "Wha... what are you... what are you _doing!?_"

_"__Following O'Donnell's orders," _the synthetic voice replied.

"You promised not to hurt her!"

Krystal tried to grab her arms, but with both paws missing, it merely amounted to flailing her wrists about. In the end, she crossed her arms and held the stumps to her chest, soaking her shirt in blood. She raised her head and fixed Phoenix with her vacant eyes. This time, it wasn't a look of disappointment. Nor anger. Nor hate. Nor sadness. It was the look of the betrayed.

_"__The deal was to ensure Krystal can never harm again," _Black Mamba droned. _"I took her hands. I robbed her of the ability to kill. You should thank Wolf, Phoenix..."_

Phoenix locked eyes with Krystal, whose mouth had dropped open to let out a terrifying scream of despair.

_"The vixen killed his girl—Sheila. Wolf was tempted to send Pepper her head. He has a surprising amount of self-restraint. But it only goes so far. Consider yourselves... fortunate."_

Two pairs of guards came up from behind Krystal and Phoenix, dragging them apart. Phoenix struggled against his captors, but all Krystal could manage was to hold her mangled stubs in front of her chest and stare at the tod.

_"__The real question, Phoenix, is what you will do about it."_


	25. Final Masquerade Part 1 (1 of 3)

**X**

**Chapter 25: Final Masquerade**

**Part 1: Frontier Psychiatrist**

* * *

The _Great Fox__'s _hangar doors slid open a crack, large enough for Phoenix to slip through. He was immediately hit by a gust of wind, which rustled his hair and clothes. Lylat's sun, though dimmed by red and orange clouds, still blinded him with a brighter light than the _Fox's _interior provided. Phoenix raised his elbow to cover his eyes, peering out over the landscape.

Phoenix had seen better and worse places than Katina. The majority of the planet was arid, but terraformers were hard at work melting the icecaps at the north and south poles. This process provided water for farmers to irrigate their flora, also forming unnatural streams and wetlands the environment wasn't ready for. Drab colors dominated the scenery: dark brown, nearly black soil made up the ground, while red clouds covered most of the faint green sky. It was hard for Phoenix to comprehend why anyone would want to live there.

Wolf was kind enough to deposit the _Great Fox _in a barren plot of dirt used for a trailer home. The farmers lived in a government-sponsored commune, sharing tools, equipment, and vehicles stored in nearby farmhouses. Of the three arwings, only Krystal's remained—Slippy and Falco having left with theirs weeks prior. Not that Krystal would be taking her ship for a spin anytime soon.

As Phoenix left the hulking behemoth of a dreadnought, curious families watched him from the trailer park. It wasn't uncommon for them to witness off-worlders in their area, considering their prime location for refugees and criminals looking for a place to settle down. Though Katina was often described as Corneria's front-line base, most of the military outposts were located around the planet's equator, so as not to interfere with terraforming and agricultural efforts. Larger cities were also built nearer the equator. These housed factory workers who operated grain refineries and shipping centers. The farms were located closer to the north and south poles, where the climate was cooler and most of the water was located. These farmlands and undisturbed prairies were the perfect escape for Cornerian refugees, exiled politicians, or retired criminals to get away to. Right under the Cornerians' very noses.

Phoenix strolled off of the dirt park and onto the main road that cut straight through the farmlands. On both sides of the asphalt path were evidence of efforts to tap the planet's resources. The vulpine passed by a variety of crops; multicolored spices, corn, and wheat grew in rows on dry plains, while cane and rice grew in flooded fields. Standing tall amongst the crops were wind turbines, rotating their black blades lazily in the wind. They powered the farmers' equipment, the small communes, and sparse villages across the countryside.

It was quite a walk before Phoenix arrived at one of these villages. It was tucked away in a valley of hills, removed from the public eye. The practical arrangement would have been for Phoenix to live _in _the village, but the nature of its inhabitants unsettled him, and he preferred staying in the familiar _Great Fox._

The settlement was only composed of a few buildings. A large hospital that doubled as a mental asylum was the largest, while private residences and housing for the hospital staff made up the rest. Criminals or Cornerian refugees paid to have their insane relatives or wounded friends treated at the hospital. For some, it was temporary until they were healed enough to leave. For others, the arrangement was permanent.

Phoenix entered the hospital's lobby. A troop of guards stopped him at the entrance, checking his ID before letting him pass. The hospital was affiliated with Sargasso, meaning Wolf had direct control over it. The assortment of valuable patients meant guards were necessary to keep the peace from any agents sent to collect a bounty on the defenseless. Or to prevent the patients from escaping.

The receptionist okayed his visit, sending a guard to escort him. He walked with the bearded dragon soldier to his desired room, and the lizard stationed himself outside to give him privacy. Phoenix paused before the door to room 118. He gripped the doorknob, softly turning it and pushing the door open.

For the most part, it was a bland, white room devoid of even a hint of feeling or emotion. In some cultures, the white color meant sterility and perfection. But in others Phoenix had witnessed, it simply meant death. He had tried to liven the place up during the week he visited. He brought some of the brightest field flowers he could find on Katina. He placed them in beer bottles he found in Krystal's room, filling them with water. He hoped the alcohol wouldn't affect the flowers in any way, but they showed no sign of wilting prematurely.

Krystal lay face-up on a bed against the left wall. Her sleeping form was clearly visible in the harsh fluorescent light—the only source of light since they didn't even give her room with a window. She was dressed in a hospital gown, both arms spread out across the bed, almost as if she were offering herself up to heaven or death. Both of her wrists ended in sewed-up stumps covered in bandages. Wires and tubes extended from the crooks of her elbows, feeding her intravenously with both food and blood. The funny thing about blood and organ donations in the hospital was that they never seemed to have a shortage. Wolf's Sargasso Syndicate regularly donated to the center. After all, they had no need for their corpses.

Phoenix pulled up a cheap metal chair to the bedside, and sat down beside Krystal's sleeping form. She was alive. An electrocardiogram persistently beeped away, indicating her disconcertingly low pulse. The doctors were mostly rude and tight-lipped about her condition. He managed to get out of them that Krystal had experienced extreme psychological shock. After a persistent vegetative state, she slipped into a coma, and wouldn't respond to any outside stimulation. The shock of having her hands blown off, coupled with her deteriorating psychotic state and physical health all contributed to her present condition. He asked the doctors if there was any chance of a recovery, but they just pursed their lips and gave no answer. If her coma resulted in death, Phoenix assumed her blood and organs would simply go to feeding the rest of the living patients.

The tod let out a broken sigh, looking over the vixen's motionless body. And what if she did survive? Would she sleep the rest of her life away in a vegetative state, dreaming through cycles of nightmares, reliving the worst moments of her life? And even if she did wake up... would Krystal _want_ to keep on living? Her eyes would open, and they'd have the same yearning for blood and revenge as they always did. Yet then it would be different. Wolf robbed her of the tools she used to satisfy those desires. She couldn't grip her favorite pistols anymore, couldn't fly her arwing, or even hold a can of beer. Phoenix could take care of her, find work as a farmhand on Katina, but all he would give her was more disappointment.

He stared fearfully at Krystal's closed eyelids, remembering the last look she gave him: betrayal. If she woke up, she'd never forgive him._ What kind of a life is that?_ he asked himself. _For either of us? _Krystal bound to life by the one person she hated most in the world, always to remind him of his failure. Wolf could have killed her. But he didn't. It took self-restraint like Black Mamba said, but he knew withholding death would mean condemning Krystal to a living hell. He knew living would be torture for Krystal.

A blaster poked into Phoenix's abdomen and stomach, concealed by his shirt and pants. He wondered if there was any other way out for the two of them. The pair seemed to be everyone's target; the common enemy that united the whole of the Lylat System. Pepper and the Cornerians betrayed them. Wolf and the entire criminal syndicate under his command betrayed them. Even their teammates betrayed them, leaving them to the twisted fate they chose. Phoenix considered the possibility of escape. Leaving the Lylat System with Krystal, and settling down somewhere thousands of lightyears away. Just get up and run... and never look back.

But worst of all... _he _had betrayed Krystal. He was the only one left willing to take care of her and be her hands, yet at the same time, he was the reason she had lost those hands. He felt like both the cure and the sickness. She could never run from him, and he could never run from himself.

Phoenix slipped the gun out, glancing towards the door to make sure it was closed. The blaster shook in his hands as he studied it. Maybe this was the only way out. Wolf knew keeping Krystal alive was better than execution. So why not kill her? It would put an end to her nightmares and misery. If he failed redeeming her, he might as well admit it and abort everything now.

The young vulpine lowered the blaster at Krystal's oblivious form. She deserved death, didn't she? Not only was it best for her, but it's what justice demanded. He couldn't count the number of people she killed, and surely Krystal had lost track herself. Other bounty-hunters, Cornerian soldiers just doing their duty, innocents who happened to be in the way... and friends she was just too paranoid to trust, too quick to sniff out betrayal in. She would've killed him as well, if he hadn't run. But maybe that would have been for the best.

The blaster continued to shake in Phoenix's hands. He gripped it with a second paw to stabilize it, but it only doubled the shaking. His eyes were wide and tear-filled, his teeth ground together as he struggled to make a decision. A voice inside told him _she _was the cause of all of his pain. She chose a dark path for herself, then dragged others like Phoenix down to combat her loneliness. She made him kill for the first time. She took away his friends and the people he loved. Kitty, Vince, Scarlet, Sheila. Even in the short time he knew them, they had reached out to him and shown him kindness and trust. Yet she took them all away, sometimes manipulating him to pull the trigger. Slowly Krystal chipped away at Phoenix, destroying his morals, his philosophy, and his concept of god, until all of them were gone. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he no longer had anything to guide him. Nothing to base his 'right' and 'wrong' on. No compass to lead him down the path of life. Nothing to tell him what to do or guide his actions. His future was up to him and him alone. The choice was completely and utterly his. And that scared Phoenix.

The vulpine began to sniff as salty droplets rolled down his cheeks. He leaned forward, resting his head on the edge of the bed, blaster still extended towards Krystal. He stared down at the blurry floor between his feet, which soon became wet from his tears.

"Please," he sobbed.

"Please, someone...

"Anyone...

"Any god...

"Any thing...

"Please tell me

"What to do."

He sat like that for some time, frozen by indecision. When a veritable puddle of tears had amassed on the floor, he loosened his grip on the gun. He let the blaster fall onto the sheets, and rose from the chair. Carefully, he raised the delicate IV tubes and slid into the bed next to Krystal. He wrapped his arms around her unconscious body and pressed his muzzle against the side of her face.

Closing his eyes, he whispered, "I'm so sorry, Krystal. I'll find a way. I swear, I'll find a way. I won't fail you ever again."

His eyes still watered as the pillow pressed against his cheek. He slowed his breathing, until it matched the sluggish rise and fall of Krystal's own chest. But the hospital lights were so bright...

* * *

"Hey Phoenix. It's me."

…

"You might not know who I am, but I don't blame you."

…

"Even if we've never met, you know more about me than you realize."

…

"I'm... sorry for never talking to you like this. We should have spoken sooner."

…

"But enough about me. Let's talk about Krystal."

Phoenix stared up at the blinding sun, a white circle with pulsating darker blotches swimming around in a frenzy. Grass tickled his appendages and his cheek. The songs of insects and wild birds became audible. At the edges of the sky, tropical leaves and branches swayed. He was in some jungle, but it didn't seem like Fortuna. The flora was... different.

He sat up, scanning the tree line in a circle around him. Suddenly, a patch of bushes broke open, revealing a large rodent scurrying out of the undergrowth. It barreled through the open hollow, running right past him. Yet as soon as he turned to gaze after it, a second creature broke through the thicket of bushes. He turned back and was surprised to see a young girl chasing after the rodent with a golden staff. The blue-furred vixen was only clad in a bronze brassier and white loincloth, which flapped in the breeze. She was much younger than him, looking to be in her preteens. The vixen was dangerously skinny and deprived of nutrition, already struggling to keep up with her prey.

In a flash, she zipped by Phoenix, paying him no attention just as the rodent neglected to. Phoenix turned and followed the small hunter into the jungle, easily keeping pace with them both. The chase eventually came to an end when the rodent slipped into a cave in the side of a cliff. Krystal jumped into the mouth after it, and Phoenix was soon to follow. At the bottom of the steep incline, the junior hunter found the animal trying to limp away. It favored a paw it must have broken from the fall, and now had no hope of escaping Krystal.

The young vixen approached her prey, noticing its broken leg. A look of pity and anguish took hold of her face, and she halted where she stood. Phoenix thought she would have taken a step back, but a growl emanated from the girl's flat stomach. Lifting the gold staff above her head, she whimpered something in a language Phoenix didn't understand. It sounded comforting, like a promise that its death would be swift and painless. She closed her eyes, and brought the head of the staff down on the creature.

The rodent squealed horribly in protest, as the hunter's blow had missed its mark. The vixen forced herself to look at the creature this time, sobbing apology after apology as she bashed the animal's skull in. When her prey moved no more, the vixen was overcome with tears. She sat down beside the rodent, cradling its limp body in her lap. She cried and whispered in its ear, and Phoenix felt his own heart moved by the sight. He wanted to reach out and comfort the girl, but he knew it would be useless. The gesture was late. Many years too late.

Finally recovering somewhat, the girl swung the animal and staff across her back and attempted to scale out of the cave. The rock precipice was steep and unforgiving. The bright green glow from the jungle above taunted her, yet she could not climb higher than a few feet before sliding back down to the cave floor. She was trapped in the pit with the creature she killed.

The sapphire-furred vixen gave up on climbing out. She sat down and lay the animal across a flat stone in front of her, then drew a crude knife to carve it with. Phoenix noticed the trouble and hesitation she had with starting the task. It was clear she had never cleaned an animal before, and from the fear in her eyes, the shaking knife, and quiet sniffles echoing through the cave, Phoenix could tell she didn't want to.

Once again putting aside her reservations, she slit the rodents belly open, crying out when blood and entrails leaked out onto the rock. Phoenix felt more and more pity as the girl struggled to clean the beast, then finally taking her first bite of the crudely-prepared meat.

"It kinda gets you right here, doesn't it?"

Phoenix was startled by the new voice that spoke in the cave. He looked up, but was surprised when he identified its source. His mouth dropped open.

On his left stood a fox wearing a green flight suit and white jacket. A red scarf adorned his neck, and he stood watching the girl with a tear in his eye. When he noticed Phoenix staring at him, he looked up and returned his gaze.

It felt like Phoenix was looking in a mirror.

"Wh-wha?" Phoenix stumbled.

His doppelganger smirked. "No, I'm not some evil clone of yours. I'm Fox. Fox McCloud."

He extended a hand to Phoenix, but the tod didn't take it.

"B-but... you're dead!

Fox let his hand drop to his side. He scratched the back of his head. "Funny thing is, when you die you tend to leave pieces of yourself with the people you're closest to. But I didn't come here to talk about me. I came to talk about Krystal." He looked back down at the blue fox hungrily devouring the red meat.

"Are you... showing this memory to me?"

"In a manner of speaking. You see, I pretty much found Krystal like this. She was a wild thing. Free-spirited. She lived for years alone on this planet, hunting and killing for her food. I guess this is how it all started."

Phoenix followed his gaze to the crying vixen. "Was there ever a time when she was happy?"

"When she was home, with her family—before that was all taken away. Whenever she was by my side—until I disappeared as well. No, I'd say there were only a few brief periods of respite in her life."

"Was Krystal happy when she was with me?" Phoenix asked, hopefully.

Fox's smirk disappeared, still watching the vixen devour her meal. "You did the best you could, Phoenix. But I'm afraid just trying doesn't cut it. You never committed to changing yourself."

"What? And ending up like Krystal? A murderer? If you look at it that way, I've already changed. For the worse. She made me the killer I am now. I... I wish I had held onto my innocence. My morals. I wish I had never taken a life. I wish I hadn't changed."

Fox shook his head and began circling around Krystal. He stopped when the vixen lay between them, facing across her at Phoenix. "Change isn't always bad, Phoenix. Doesn't a part of you want to change Krystal? Put an end to her blood-lust and hate? Return her to the loving creature she used to be?"

"Of course I want that. I'd give anything for it."

"Then how do you expect to change someone else if you can't even change yourself?"

Phoenix opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn't come up with an answer. "What do you... what is that supposed to mean?"

"You want Krystal to change—to become the person you want her to be. You can only achieve that by becoming the person she wants _you _to be."

"Oh?" Phoenix retorted. "And just who is this person?"

Fox stared blankly at him until Phoenix came up with the answer himself.

"Y... you?"

"Seem kinda full of myself, don't I? But it makes perfect sense. She saw a lot of me in you the first time you both met. That's why she brought you onto the team. That's why she trained you to shoot a gun and fly an arwing. That's why she opened up to you all those lonely nights. She was holding onto this glimmer of hope—however faint—that you could resurrect me. That you could be her new Fox McCloud. Everyone's seen it. Falco, Slippy, Scarlet, Wolf... and I know you don't want to admit it, but you've known it all along, too."

"I don't care! So what if she's attracted to me just because I have an ugly mug like yours!"

Fox shook his head again, a gesture which began to infuriate Phoenix. "That's how you've responded to anyone who confronted you with the truth. Just because you "don't care" doesn't mean the uncomfortable truth will just disappear. Like it or not, you can't define others' realities at will. If you think anyone besides me could save her at this point, you're horribly misguided."

"And what would you suggest I do?" Phoenix asked, staring down his muzzle at the other vulpine.

"Become me."

"You mean _lie_ to myself and Krystal?"

"It's the only way you can save her, and you know it. I was the last chance she had at redemption—of finding love in the Lylat and giving her a reason to live. But now that I'm gone, you're the only one who can give her that."

"So I have to pretend to be you in some ultimate deception? That would deny my own identity! I would lose myself as a person!"

"Sometimes, who you are _isn't _a good person. Everyone needs to change something about themselves."

"What do you mean I'm not a good person! Don't you understand I'm the_ shhhawgkk—"_ Phoenix choked on his own words, unable to continue speaking. Something was crawling its way up his esophagus, pinching and poking the insides of his throat. He fell to his knees at the base of the cliff, coughing and spluttering while grabbing his neck. He opened his mouth to vomit the creature out, but instead of a hundred-legged monster, a pile of feces fell out.

While Phoenix continued choking, Fox took advantage of his silence to speak. "No Phoenix, you are not a good person. Words and good intentions don't change reality. _Actions_ do. No matter how many times you repeat something to yourself, you won't accomplish anything."

"I _said,_" Phoenix wheezed, "I'm the _shawhgkgkk_—"

Another surge of crap was expulsed from the vulpine's muzzle, piling atop the first heap.

In response to Phoenix's stubbornness, Fox sighed and knelt down beside him. He placed a paw on his back. "You know you can't go on like this forever. Something's got to change, or else the story will end the same way it always does."

"But I'm the _shhhkkkah_—"

"I hate to be the one to burst your bubble, Phoenix, but you're not."

"I swear to god I'm the _ahkguh_—!"

"You think changing is bad somehow; that your only choice is to be a sadistic murderer like Krystal, or stubbornly be yourself. Well, there's a false dichotomy if ever I saw one."

"No! I'm the fucking _shgahkk—"_

"Truth is, you think you're a pretty good guy for going back to the good 'ol Phoenix and not killing incessantly. Yeah, I'll give you credit for that. That's the least you could ask of anyone; don't kill. But that's no reason to stop there. You can't say, "at least I'm not a _bad _person." 'Cause the reality of it is, you are a pretty horrible excuse for a person. Let's see, where to begin... you're skinny. You don't eat enough."

Phoenix tried to drown out Fox's stabbing words with his mantra—his only defense.

"I'm the... _haaaackkk_—"

"You're weak. You couldn't lift a girl an inch off the ground, much less protect her."

"I'm the—"

"You're a coward. You can't face any of your fears head-on without bitching about it."

"I'm the—"

"You're a liar; the worst kind. You lie to protect yourself—never to benefit others."

"I'm—"

"You're the great Betrayer. You sold Krystal out to Meinhard and Wolf when she needed to trust you the most. Fuck your intentions; you don't get brownie points for trying."

"I'm the goddamn—"

"And don't get me wrong. I know you struggle with low self-esteem and all that. You drink and smoke and self-harm isn't beyond you, and it's good to think with a positive outlook. But don't let that turn you into an overconfident asshole!"

By this time, Phoenix had vomited up so much fecal matter that the cave was flooded with it, and tiny Krystal was nowhere to be seen. While Phoenix was up to his neck in his own revolting waste, Fox somehow walked on the surface like it was solid. He used his vantage point above the sewage muck to preach down to Phoenix.

"The villain of everyone's own life is themselves. It's not this inescapable cave down which you fell, nor the blue-furred succubus dragging you towards hell. There's no angel or demon riding your shoulders, no god-like crane giving your orders. No centipede will make you die; it's just thee, thyself, and thy. Now REPEAT, AFTER, ME..."

The fox bent down until his head was just a few inches away from Phoenix's, and he grabbed the vulpine by his hair.

"I. Am. _Not. _The shit."

"Fuck you! Why don't you come down here with me!?" Phoenix screamed at his alter ego, but he was about to drown in the sea of waste.

"Say it! I am not the shit!"

"NO! Go back to Venom where you _blubblub—Ack!"_ Feces began to find their way back into Phoenix's mouth, threatening to fill up his lungs and suffocate him.

"Now! Before you drown yourself, boy!"

Phoenix tilted his head backwards, raising his nose above the brown pit. The crap now rose above his eyes, forcing him to close them tightly. If he didn't do something in the next few half-seconds, he would...


	26. Final Masquerade Part 1 (2 of 3)

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֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒֒m not the shit


	27. Final Masquerade Part 1 (3 of 3)

_I'm not the shit._

That simple combination of words did what tens of thousands could not.

As soon as he choked out the final word, the sea stopped rising. As if a dam had burst, the ocean of fecal matter drained from the cave, pouring down passages and into crevices until the rock surface was completely spotless. Phoenix fell to his knees on the stone floor, gasping for breath. It was gone. All of the bullshit was washed away.

With the ocean drained, Krystal's small form was once more visible. She lay in a fetal position on a raised stone, curled up and holding herself tightly. She looked unconscious, and her body was too small for Phoenix to discern if she were breathing. Feeling weak and ungrounded since the vision or hallucination took a nasty turn, he crawled over to her side. He wrapped his arms around her, cradling the young vixen gently. He closed his eyes and rested his head on hers.

"What've I done, Krystal..."

* * *

Sluggishly, the bright hospital lights and incessant beeps of the heart-monitor returned to Phoenix's senses. A rough hand shook him, confirming he was awake.

"Time's up, kid," his bearded-dragon escort said.

Phoenix looked around, slightly bewildered, but quickly regained his bearings. With a rush of adrenaline, he remembered the blaster he mistakenly brought. As he slid off the bed, he smoothly guided the weapon back into the waist-line of his pants. He placed his own torso between himself and the guard, hiding the movement from view. There was no telling what the Sargasso-owned staff would do if they found a gun on his person. They might revoke his visiting privileges, or assign a guard to accompany him at all times, meaning he could never have a moment alone with Krystal.

The spiny reptile exited the room ahead of him, but Phoenix paused to place his hand on the door frame. He took one last look at Krystal for the day, vowing to return the next. She looked so peaceful in her catatonic state, oblivious to the outside world and the horrors that had afflicted her life. Yet, at the same time, there was a strong aura of hopelessness about her. She teetered on the edge of a knife—a balancing act between life and death. And the hospital equipment, along with her lack of hands and malnutrition confirmed that.

When the guard became impatient, Phoenix let go of the door frame and followed him down the hall. The soldier didn't spare a backwards glance at the vulpine.

Phoenix cleared his throat. "So, um... what brings you to a place like this?" It was a half-joke, knowing the guard most likely was serving some form of punishment.

"Because I don't mind all the kooks and the scent of death that fills this place," the bearded-dragon said in a scratchy voice. "I can't feel pain, or fear, or any other emotion. But I have respect for such emotions, especially those associated with love. Kid, I know why you brought that gun. I believe it was good that you didn't use it. Hold onto hope, because I can't."

Of all the places Phoenix expected to get advice from, a criminal soldier from Sargasso was the last. Yet to be honest, Fox McCloud was rather unexpected as well.

The guard showed him to the hospital lobby, and Phoenix exited the building of his own accord. He walked up the dirt path that lead out of the valley, stopping on the ridge of hills to look out over the Katinan farmlands. He stepped off the path and sat on a patch of grass that lead down into the fields, leaning back to look at the sky. It was getting to be mid-afternoon, and he'd have to hurry to make it back to the _Great Fox _in time for his usual supper. But somehow, rice and beans wasn't all that appetizing to him, never mind his hunger.

Dark clouds converged in the sky, causing shadows to race across the waving fields of crops. The gusts of wind seemed to pick up, stirring the wind turbines into a frenzy as they tapped into the natural power source.

Soon becoming bored with his pastime, Phoenix whipped out his wrist comm to surf the web. He hadn't used it since the fateful night with Wolf and Krystal, and the device immediately opened to a mipmap of Katina. He was about to close out of the program when he noticed something oddly peculiar.

A red dot blinked on the screen.

_Who in the world...? _Phoenix thought, trying to figure out what was going on. It didn't match any of the other indicators used for the Hunting Party's teammates, but it showed up all the same. It was less than twenty miles away, meaning he could realistically catch a ride and make it back before sundown. With nothing better to do, he plotted a course for the red beacon and headed towards the main road.

After hitch-hiking with a group of curious but good-willed farmers, Phoenix arrived at a comfortable neighborhood situated on a range of hills. The houses were small and mostly one-story buildings, but their gardens were well-kept and they looked rather quaint. The neighborhood welcomed Phoenix, and he followed his wrist comm to the house where the mystery individual probably resided.

He stopped in front of the door, pausing before he knocked. Who did he expect to find? What type of person were they? If they had a military-use wrist comm, and were somehow involved with the Hunting Party, it was unlikely they were a trustworthy individual. Yet all the same, Phoenix rapped on the door.

After a couple knocks, he heard the _thumps _of heavy-set feet make their way to the front porch. A hatch in the door slid open, and a pair of red, spectacled eyes peered through the slit at him. It was a quick glance, just long enough to discern that Phoenix didn't pose a threat. The vulpine heard a series of locks unbolted before the door swung inwards.

Before him stood a gray-furred, elderly rabbit wearing a red bathrobe and bunny slippers.

"Yes?" he whistled through a pair of buck-teeth. "How may I help y... oh dear..."

His jaw lulled open and his eyes widened after he got a good look at Phoenix. Then, the hare began to wheeze and struggle for breath in a worrying way. He toppled backwards against the door, clutching at his heart.

"Sir, are you okay?!" Phoenix rushed to help the senior Lylatian. He cut his fall short, throwing the rabbit's arm over his shoulder while looping his own around his torso. The pair stumbled into the living room, where Phoenix sat him down on a couch. He sat opposite the hare on a coffee table, grasping his shoulder firmly. He was obviously experiencing a heart or panic attack, and needed a moment to calm down.

When the elder regained his breath, he gasped out, "F-F... Fox?"


	28. Final Masquerade Part 2: Plunderphonics

**X**

**Chapter 26: Final Masquerade**

**Part 2: Plunderphonics**

* * *

"F-F... Fox?"

Phoenix's ears drooped at the hare's blunder. Ever since he joined the Hunting Party, that seemed to be the only thing he heard. If the rabbit was younger, he might have bashed his skull in, but he managed to control his temper. The elder had so much wonder, fear, and hope in his expression, but he knew he'd have to spoil all that.

"No, I'm not Fox," Phoenix sighed, "but I'll give out an autograph all the same. People stop me on the street all the time."

The hare was confused at Phoenix's statement. He looked the vulpine over for a third time, squinting and removing his glasses for a better view. Finally, he seemed to relax and regain his composure. "Well, you almost gave me a heart attack there, son! I thought you were Fox McCloud at first, but... the more I look at you, I can see that you're not him. Your face is different, and the brow above your eyes is less angled... and you don't seem to be as big as Fox was."

"Sorry to give you a heart attack, sir," Phoenix apologized. "I didn't know who I'd find here. I followed your tracer on this comm unit."

He presented the wrist comm with the open map to the hare. He accepted the device, quickly recognizing it as he turned it over in his paws. "This is Star Fox's property. How'd you get your hands on it?"

"It's a long story... but I had a brief stint as the team's fourth member."

The rabbit narrowed his eyes at the vulpine, as if he could spot lies with his gaze.

"What's your name, boy?" he asked after studying him.

"Phoenix."

"Phoenix, huh..." He extended his paw. "My name's Peppy. Peppy Hare. I used to fly with Star Fox as well. Though I was more of a long-term member."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hare," Phoenix said as he shook his hand.

"Just Peppy, please," the rabbit chuckled. He glanced down at his bathrobe and pajamas and blushed. "Sorry I couldn't greet you in more formal attire, but an old fart like me doesn't get many visitors. So, what brings you here? Anything I can do for you?"

Phoenix shifted from the coffee table to the couch beside the hare. "Like I said, I used to be on the Star Fox team—only now they call it the Hunting Party."

"Re-branded, eh? Well that's certainly better than Star Falco."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. To tell the truth, I... I really don't know why I came here. I saw your beacon on the map, and wondered what it was. I miss being in the Hunting Party. But we had a falling out recently, and most of us went our separate ways."

Peppy took on a dour frown. "I didn't think they'd last this long without Fox. I left right after he died. You see, I was Fox's godfather. After his real father died, I stepped in and took his place. I followed along with his wild schemes of avenging James and killing Andross. I trained him to follow in his father's footsteps: how to fly an arwing, how to shoot a gun, how to act professionally and handle missions. That boy was a quick learner. It's why I supported him all the way to the end. But, when Fox died just like James... I couldn't take it anymore. I vowed never to fly with my friends again. There was nothing to keep me with the team, so I left and settled down here. Sure, Slip and Falco were great kids, and Krystal was kind for a while, but... it wasn't the same without Fox. I didn't want to go through the same ordeal again with one of these folks."

"Peppy, Krystal's in a really bad spot right now," Phoenix informed him.

The hare nodded knowingly. "I can see why. Fox's death must have weighed down on her the hardest. Sometimes... sometimes I wish I stayed on and helped their team. I think they needed my guidance through these difficult times."

"No, you don't understand; Krystal's dying, Peppy," Phoenix said with renewed urgency in his voice. "She's never been right in the head after his death. She never forgave the Cornerians for killing him, and Wolf had to... put her down."

"Put her down!?" Peppy asked worriedly.

"No, not kill her. She's hanging on by a thread, I think, but Wolf took her hands.

"He... took her _hands!?_ Are you serious? How could Wolf do such a thing... after all the breaks we gave him! We defended that no-good scoundrel to the last!"

Phoenix was subjected to a wave of unpleasant flashbacks as he reaffirmed his statement. "He had one of his assassins just blast her paws off in front of me. As a result, Krystal's gone into some sort of coma, or something. I-I don't know if she'll ever wake up, or what to do if she wakes up; because she's changed forever. I need help bringing her back." He grasped the rabbits paw, firmly. "Peppy, will you help me bring her back?"

The hare adopted a look of determination. He clasped his other paw on Phoenix's and nodded affirmation. "You can count on me. First, let's clarify what's happened to Krystal. You say she's in some sort of coma?"

Phoenix nodded. "That's what the doctors say; she slipped into a catatonic state after extreme shock."

Peppy scratched his chin. "This isn't the first time she's endured long periods of unconsciousness. We picked Krystal up on Sauria years ago—well, Fox did. Andross's spirit trapped her in a crystal prison in a Krazoan temple. To survive the ordeal, Krystal used a Cerinian self-defense system against such trauma. She retreated into her subconscious, allowing for a deep sleep until she was rescued. It's a mental exercise practices by Cerinians to wait out long periods of—you don't believe any of what I just said, do you?"

Phoenix looked extremely skeptical and confused. "I don't pretend to understand any of it... but I know Krystal has telepathic abilities, and for her sake I'll believe anything."

Peppy harrumphed. "Well, the important thing to get out of all this is that Krystal needs something to break her out of that state. On Sauria, Fox had to collect a number of Krazoa spirits to free her from a giant crystal." Peppy paused and looked at Phoenix expectantly.

The vulpine raised an eyebrow. "She's sleeping in a hospital right now. Plus, I don't see where we'll find these "Krazoa spirits"—not on Katina, at least."

"Okay, just making sure..." The hare set to scratching his chin, staring at the corner of the living room pensively. He sighed and shook his head, then stood up.

"Well, Phoenix, looks like we might be here a while thinking this through. You're free to stay the night if you want; there's a guest room open for you."

"Thanks, I'll take it!"

"How 'bout some coffee? This might be a long night of brainstorming."

"Yes, please."

Peppy padded out of the living room in his bunny slippers. He pointed to a closed door in the hallway. "This is my storage room. Care to take a look?"

As the hare disappeared into the kitchen, Phoenix got up from his seat and stepped over to the room. "Um, sure, I guess?" He swung the door open while Peppy worked away in the kitchen.

"After Fox's death, Krystal purged the _Great Fox _of all Star Fox-related paraphernalia. That stuff holds a lot of valuable memories for me, so I couldn't let her just... throw it out the airlock!"

Phoenix entered the storage room and flipped on the light switch. Stacks of cardboard boxes filled the carpet, while shelves full of photograph frames and containers lined the walls. Phoenix gasped at the trove of memories the room held.

"Quite a bit of junk in there," Peppy said from the other room, kitchen appliances clunking and clinking. "Photo prints, video tapes, Fox and James' old clothes, data chips full of security cam footage. Whenever it's James' or Fox's birthday, I'll whip some videos out and watch 'em, to kinda remember them by and pay 'em respect. I'm quite lonely here, which is why I don't mind your company." He paused awkwardly to rethink his own words. "Does that sound creepy? I think that sounds a little creepy."

Phoenix took out a bin of pictures and began to flip through them all while Peppy spoke. The prints spanned several years, but most of them were of Fox... and inevitably, Krystal. Fox wasn't lying when he said Krystal was always happy with him. Each photograph of the couple contained smiling vulpine faces, the camera sometimes catching a kiss or a hug between the two—even just holding hands or looking at each other. Phoenix could have studied the photographs for hours. Never had he seen Falco or Slippy smile so much, but especially Krystal. The only times he had seen her amused was when she was drunk, picking on some unfortunate soul like himself, or in the act of shooting someone up. But here, spread in front of him, were stack upon stack of instances when the vixen was truly happy. The _Great Fox's _recreation room, vacations on Aquas, shopping in a mall on Corneria, celebrating any one of the five teammates' birthdays... and among the pictures, the source of Krystal's happiness was always—

"Here's your coffee," Peppy said as he entered the room. He held out a steaming china mug for Phoenix to take.

"Peppy, I know what we have to do now."

The hare raised his ears attentively.

"Help me become Fox."

* * *

***Cue Rocky Theme Music***

They trained for one month straight without rest. From early in the morning to late hours of the night, Phoenix insisted they stayed up to work. The only breaks they took were to sleep for several hours or to visit Krystal during the day. Phoenix was tempted to cut out their hospital visits altogether; Krystal was always asleep, and it took time away from his sessions with Peppy. But once he observed how seeing Krystal in such a state affected the hare, he knew they had to keep seeing her. Every day, the visits reminded them both of their goal. They were doing it for Krystal's sake.

Peppy taught Phoenix everything he knew about the Star Fox leader. By the time they were finished, Phoenix would be able to graduate with a PhD in Fox McCloud. Peppy started with having Phoenix memorize Fox's past; every story he had ever told about his childhood, which was from Peppy's own memory as much as it was from Fox's. They poured over tomes of memorabilia: pictures, videos, security camera footage, diaries, communications and radio logs. Peppy used all of these to teach Phoenix Fox's voice, his inflection, his word choice and personal diction, his gait, gestures, facial expressions, the works.

In the wide open Katinan prairies, Peppy helped Phoenix build on what Krystal had started teaching him: working on mastering firearms and flying Krystal's arwing. To help Phoenix put on weight, Peppy cooked and shoveled food into the vulpine's mouth, while Phoenix hired himself out as a farmhand to get swole. While he couldn't bring himself to like Fox, he didn't mind adopting his image, and he knew his words were true. He had to change himself. For Krystal's sake.

After a month of such training, the time had come for Phoenix to take the last few steps of the masquerade.

It was a rainy night on Katina; the dark clouds coalesced to block out the sky and soak the parched fields. Peppy drove Phoenix to a nearby city—nearby only in the relative sense; it was the closest city around, yet still nearly 250 kilometers from Peppy's house. In no way did it compare to Corneria City, or any of the metropolises on Phoenix's home planet, but anything was more urban compared with the rural farmlands.

Peppy parked his truck—an outdated model by any standard, as it had wheels and something he called a "stick-shift"—on an out-of-the-way street near the factory district. The dingy buildings, townhouses, and shops were packed tightly together, but Phoenix marveled at the mazes of alleyways and side-streets still able to squeeze in between the buildings.

Down one such alley, Peppy had him stop at a backdoor to one of the shops. It was a rusted door with peeling green paint, and a simplistic light bulb protruding from the brick wall to make it visible. The hare knocked on the door and leaned closer to the building to avoid the rain. Just as Peppy had done when he met Phoenix, the owner slid a hatch in the door open just enough to peer through.

"It's us, Angus," Peppy said in a hushed voice. In response, the slat screeched closed, and the whole door opened, flooding the alley in golden light.

"Alright, come in and get out of the rain already," Angus said. Peppy and Phoenix ducked in while Angus closed the door behind them. Phoenix took a good look at Angus, who was a snow monkey with brownish-gray fur and a pink, bald face that looked familiar.

"Phoenix," Peppy began, introducing them. "I'd like you to meet Dr. Angus Bowman."

Phoenix shook the primate's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr.—" He momentarily froze as he stared at the doctor, but he remembered not to express his shock openly, as Peppy had instructed him. "...Dr. Bowman," he grinned as he shook his hand. "Are you related to Andross, perchance?"

"It's a wonder I haven't operated on my own face yet, isn't it?" Angus chuckled.

Peppy leaned in and whispered, "You'd never survive your own anesthetics!" to which the pair burst out in loud guffaws and held their sides. Needless to say, Peppy's joke did nothing to calm Phoenix's nerves, but he laughed along with them anyway.

"Yes, being connected to _the _Andross Bowman has its drawbacks," Angus admitted. "That's why I fled Corneria during the Lylat War and continued my business here. Now only criminals and refugees come to me for help, but it's better than the usual women and Cawdashians. I'm delighted you chose a full facial operation rather than a nose job. Speaking of which..." The simian bounced his eyebrows at Phoenix. "Got the money?"

Phoenix nodded, drawing a credit pack from his pocket. He handed it to Angus, not bothering to transfer the sum digitally so he could retain the empty pack. Angus smiled wickedly at the money, checking the balance on the pack before filing it away in a desk drawer.

"Seat yourself on the couch, Peppy," Angus offered, "Or would you prefer watching?"

The rabbit plopped himself down on the emerald cushions, raising a paw to dismiss the offer. "No, I think I better not. I'd much rather catch up on the latest issue of _Gold Chains for Old Hares_." And he whipped out a magazine from a stack on the coffee table, the cover of which depicted about what Phoenix expected it to.

"The procedure should not take insufferably long," Dr. Bowman said. "Remember, Peppy; he is not to eat, talk, or move his mouth at all tonight and tomorrow. Feed him only with a straw. Bring him in to my office the day after tomorrow and I'll remove his first plaster of bandages."

"You call this an office?" Peppy scoffed.

The primate wrinkled his nose at the hare. "Hmm, yes, well, follow me, Phoenix. My operating room is upstairs. And don't insult my operating room either, Peppy; it's the best you'll find on Katina. Now after you, Phoenix. Mind if I call you Phoenix? You neglected to grace me with your surname."

The vulpine and simian retreated upstairs, where Angus kept his operating room. He had Phoenix lie down on what looked like a leather barber's chair, next to a mayo tray containing stainless steel instruments. When he reclined back in the chair, he let out a pent-up breath and stared up at the skylight in the roof. It was pitch black except for the reflection of the bright room, and the droplets of water berating the glass surface. The sound of the rain helped sooth his nerves set on edge by the sketchy clinical center, and the operation he was about to endure. He never liked hospitals or surgery, and it wasn't going to be a pleasant experience. The plastic surgeon seemed to notice this fact, or just took it for granted.

"Nervous?" he asked, smiling while he prepped his instruments.

Phoenix sighed again, but managed to keep the fear from his voice. "I'm not fond of surgeries, no."

"Well, the pain's nothing to worry about. I'll give you some of my personal anesthesia. It's my own recipe, you know. I developed it during the War, helping Cornerian patients on Katina."

"You were on Corneria's side?"

Angus chuckled. "Of course! You assume megalomania runs in my family? Well, there's my cousin Andrew you could point to, but he was only a simpleton swept up by my father's delusions of grandeur. They both were fools, in their own ways. Andross because he assumed intelligence was all it took to conquer the Lylat, and Andrew because he assumed he possessed such intelligence. Andrew has a lower IQ than a... Bayoon bull-frog..."

"How long will this be?" Phoenix asked.

Angus turned to the vulpine just as he was putting on his surgical gloves. He menacingly snapped the rubber plastic, tightening the glove on his right arm. "Forgive me, I always enjoy doing that. This procedure requires 90 minutes. No more, no less. Oh, and you'll have to remove your shirt; I need to borrow some skin from under your arm."

Phoenix complied, and Angus slipped an IV sedation needle in the crook of his arm.

"I'll have to shave your face as well—and I don't mean excess chin hair. I have to work with skin, not fur."

Phoenix could already feel the anesthetic numbing his senses. "I better wake up from this, Doc."

"Oh, you will. I may not have a license after the Cornerian Medical Association revoked it, but you'll wake up alright. If you're going to worry about something, worry about what your face will look like when I'm through with you." He swung another tray over to Phoenix's chair, which held a series of tablets all bearing graphics of Fox's face. "Handsome fellow, this McCloud. I admit you look significantly like him already, but you won't fool anyone with your current face—especially not someone in my profession. Most will get the general feeling that your face is a little "off," but only I can appreciate the differences in your cheekbones, the angle of your brow, the size of your ears... Of course I could fix these things like I promised. But what's to stop me from making you look like, say... a bulldog!?" the doctor exclaimed, bugging his eyes and jutting his lower jaw out. "Or an ugly monkey like me!"

Phoenix was unsettled by the surgeon's grisly expressions, but he laughed all the same. "That's fine, Doc. I imagine if I woke up with your face, I'd just do what I did seven months ago."

"Oh? And what is that?"

Phoenix grinned up at the simian. "I'd use it to my advantage and take your place. You'd be out of a job, Doc, and I'd be the new Angus Bowman. And with your flawless handiwork, no one would know the difference."

The doctor's expression fell. He turned back to work with his tools, muttering darkly to himself. "If you're so good with acting, why don't you make a profession out of it? Why only masquerade as Fox? Why not impersonate Wolf or Pepper? Hire yourself out for espionage jobs. You could make a lot of money that way."

Eventually he glanced back at Phoenix. "That anesthesia should kick in soon. What shall I have you do to drift off into sleep? Count backwards from one hundred? What a waste. I've got the _great_ Fox McCloud to talk to, and I may never have the pleasure of speaking with him again. Why don't you tell me a story, _Fox__?_"

"I don't see why not," Phoenix answered. He closed his eyes and let his muscles relax, sinking deeper into the chair. "When I was a child, my father went away to Venom on a reconnaissance mission. He never came back. It was my seventh birthday that week, yet he missed it. Peppy returned, bearing news of his death. It came so unexpected that I ran away from home—just bolted out the door before the old-timer knew what hit him."

The longer Phoenix talked, the more he drifted towards unconsciousness, and the more lucid his own story began to feel, even though he himself had not actually experienced it. "I ran to this creek in our neighborhood. I was crying and thinking so much about dad that I slipped and fell into a deep part of the stream. I almost drowned there. I think I did—for a second, maybe. Ever had a near-death experience, Angus?"

"Every morning when I wake up to my wife's face. I wish she'd allow me to take my tools to it..."

"Some people claim they see heaven or hell when they die," Phoenix continued as his eyelids drooped shut. "I only saw limbo. All of my childhood acquaintances were there; Slippy, Fara, Peppy—even my father. Only, at the same time, it wasn't them. We went on an adventure through limbo, and my father promised to guide me to the end, but... I can't remember if we ever got there. You know how dreams are. Say, Doc, when I slip under... will I dream?"

* * *

_ From the veil of shadows, images materialized—black and white, fuzzy, distorted visions of his past. At first it was Krystal's beautiful face, yet twisted into a sour frown. "It gets boring seeing the same faces every day. Be thankful I didn't blow your face off instead."_

_ The image shimmered like water, blurring into the doctor's face, which contorted into playful imitations of goblins and monsters. "Got the money?" his greedy-sounding voice echoed in Phoenix's mind. "What's to stop me from making you look like a bulldog!?" He burst out into an evil cackle, throwing his head back. "Handsome fellow, this McCloud... but you won't fool anyone!"_

_ Giichi's yellow face appeared next—three of them, spinning 'round like a Ferris wheel and speaking in unison. "__You should try being an existentialist; find meaning in whatever you want. So you don't have a god right now? That crane would make a pretty fun god."_

_ Giichi rotated on his feet, as if he were a poster on display at the mall. Krystal stood on the other side of the display, surrounded by mirrors at every angle which reflected her alluring Cerinian-garbed body. She fixed him with her piercing aqua eyes, refracted through the sides of a multifaceted diamond._

_ "__Quit gawking!" __she exclaimed.__ "Everyone will think you've never been outside a church before. __What else would animals have as pets? __Bugs? __C__an't imagine many people taking their spiders or cockroaches out for a walk. You can't just replace animals' old functions with bugs. It doesn't work. Would we eat bugs, too?" __The words seemed familiar to Phoenix, but he struggled to remember their origin. Krystal's eyes slid down his body until the found the floor._

_ "Don't look down, Phoenix..." __Her voice carried a suggestive tone—tempting._

_Naturally, he looked down at his feet. Covering the stone floor was a carpet of bugs—__spiders, crickets, centipedes, roaches, all hideously swarming without direction, disgusting by their vast numbers alone. __They flooded the ground, walls, and ceiling completely; only glimpses of the cave passage remained to be seen. __They threatened to fall from above, or climb up his legs and into his clothes. He would be suffocated by the swarm of insects crawling into his eyes and nose and mouth until he practically bled the bugs through his veins._

_Though fear seized his heart, a small, white paw reached out to him. As insectoid legs poked at his feet, he looked up at the source of the hand._

_Kitty had come to haunt him again._

_Yet without hesitation, he accepted her hand. __The feline smiled, turning to lead him deeper into the cave. __Wherever she __brought__ him, the insects retreated from her footsteps, leaving a clear path for them to tread. __With the kitten leading him, Phoenix felt safe; he knew everything would turn out al__l right._

_As they trod silently through the sea of insects, faces appeared in the swarms of creatures along the cave walls. __Slippy, Falco, Krystal, and others shifted in tessellated forms, speaking to him._

_ "__You never mentioned your hostage was a fox."_

_ "__Holy shit he looks just like—"_

_ "__He's not staying. We drop him off on Corneria the first chance we get."_

_ "__Are you still under the drinking age?"_

_ "__You're not a real bounty-hunter, are you?" This time, the voice was Kitty's. Phoenix merely tightened his grip around her paw in response._

_ "__The one with the blue-fur—Krystal—she really didn't want you to die."_

_The pair stepped out into a voluminous cavern, __at the center of which was some sort of stone alter or table. __Kitty stepped towards this, still drawing Phoenix along with her. __The voices followed as well, echoing around the atrium._

_ "__Do you get faint at the sight of blood? __Kitty has the cure. She may have the disease, but she also has the cure. __It's in her blood."_

_Kitty let go of Phoenix's paw. She hopped up onto the table, crossing her arms and leaning back onto the stone. She looked like a sacrificial offering._

_ "I'm use__d__ to the __numbing and the __freezing," __she explained, "__before the sleep. I know if I fall asleep, I'll just wake up again. They froze me __once__, but you woke me up. __I know y__ou'll just wake me up again, won't you?"_

_Phoenix took a step towards the alter, reaching out his hand to stop Kitty, but the insects in the room began to move. They all migrated across the floor to the kitten, climbing down ceiling columns to get to her. They enveloped the girl from head to toe, until she was completely swallowed by their vast numbers. Though the insects seemed to be devouring her alive, she never once cried out. When every single creature had collected __upon her body, they compressed into an entirely new form._

_When the process was over with, Kitty and the swarm of bugs disappeared from the alter, leaving Krystal behind._

_Phoenix sat upon the table, scooping the sleeping vixen up in his arms. He cradled her, rocking her back and forth gently as her words echoed in his ears._

_ "__Why did you stay?"_

_ "Why did you stay?"_

_ "Why did you stay?"_

_ "After all I did to you?"_

_ "After all I did to you?"_

_ "After all I did..."_

_Why __**did**__ he stay?_

_As Phoenix held Krystal tightly to his chest, he noticed something was off about her. Beneath his fingers, millions blue-colored bugs continued to thrive, almost invisible to the naked eye. __They seemed to make up her outer skin and fur._

"Can I say something? For once?"_ Phoenix asked._

_He lay Krystal back down on the table, kneeling at her side. He dug his fingers into the first layer of insects, scooping the nasty bugs aside—legs, shells, antennae and all._

"I suffered with you. I stayed by your side all this time. I endured your pain and torment, sharing the burden with you..."

_With renewed vigor, Phoenix tore away at the insects composing her abdomen and chest. __It felt as if Krystal was a sculpture of sand that he was digging into._

"I changed myself into someone else—someone who I'm not sure I even like because... because..."

_As fast as he scooped out the clumps of bugs, they seemed to regrow and fill the holes he had dug. He increased his pace, shoveling and clawing faster and faster until they couldn't keep up with him._

"Because I know that deep down, under all the hate and pain and scars..."

_He was winning. The insects couldn't multiply fast enough, and he began to unearth a new smaller form resting in Krystal's torso._

"I believe there's someone in there worth **saving**!"

_Racking his paws viciously down Krystal's sides, the last layers of insects fell away. They retreated from Krystal in every direction, leaving behind __a much smaller figure. Phoenix rested for a moment, admiring his handiwork._

_ In Krystal's place was a much younger Cerinian—one who lacked her narrowed eyes __and__ scowling face. __All of the hate and death in her demeanor were gone, leaving behind nothing more than __an__ innocent kit. She rewarded him with her blissful smile._

_A series of slow, awkward claps filled the cave atrium. Phoenix looked up to see Fox step onto the alter. He was applauding his handiwork._

"Nice work, Phoenix. I think you've done enough for one dream. It's time to take the final step. Now be a good kid and hold still."

_Before Phoenix could react, Fox raised a blaster and __fired upon him__. A blue flash lit the cave, accompanied by a __booming__ energy discharge and a __sudden__ burning sensation in his belly._

* * *

_Fox stared down at his doppelganger, a steaming blaster in his paws. __The smaller vulpine clutched at a fiery hole in his gut, keeling over soon afterwards. Fox dropped his gun upon the alter, then stared down at his open paws as if it was his first time seeing him._

_ The transformation was complete._

* * *

The vulpine finally awoke during the drive home. The nightmare images vanished to black landscapes of crops and power lines and streetlights. In the driver's seat beside him, Peppy slightly bobbed his head and ears to the music coming from his truck's radio. It felt as if the fox was hallucinating audio—it could have been a soundtrack to his dementia. Or maybe the radio was just broken.

His mouth and face were plastered with bandages, so the tod typed out a message on his wrist comm. He leaned up from his reclined seat and handed it to Peppy. The hare had no trouble reading it, as the road was a boring stretch that never strayed an inch left or right, and demanded no careful attention.

_What genre is this?_

Peppy chuckled, handing the wrist comm back to the vulpine riding shotgun. "This is called "plunderphonics." Trippy, isn't it? I would've enjoyed this during my academy years. It's made almost entirely from samples. The artists hunt through vintage recordings or even past work they've made and stitch it together to make a whole new piece."

He typed out another message and handed it to Peppy.

_Do they ever end up making the exact same song?_

"I don't rightly know what you mean. I imagine deconstructing something into its constituent pieces and sewing it back together is bound to yield a vastly different product. It may sound the same in many cases, but the meaning and nuances—even the purpose and bigger picture are all changed. You can copy from something and end up with a completely different result."

Fox breathed a sigh of relief, sinking back into the seat for another round of sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Heads up. The finale comes next.**


	29. Final Masquerade Part 3: Dream Catcher

**X**

**Chapter 27: Final Masquerade**

**Part 3: Dream Catcher**

* * *

It was an uncharacteristically bright day for northern Katina. The veil of muddy clouds parted to expose the green sky, made brilliant by the rays of Lylat. Shadows of clouds raced along the ground, but the majority of the fields and roadways glinted in the rare sunlight. Across such roads, Peppy drove Fox to the criminal hospital in the settlement hidden amongst the hills.

Parking his vehicle in front of the hospital, Peppy turned the engine off and stole a glance at Fox. _Remarkable, _he thought, ogling the vulpine's face for the hundredth time that week since the unveiling. He still remembered the moment when Angus unraveled the white bandages from his face, as if he were an archeologist unwrapping a Titanian mummy. Or an old man removing the toilet paper from his mailbox after neighborhood kids TP'd it. The vulpine really did look like he had been reborn. It was like seeing Fox come back after a thousand years.

Eventually, Fox seemed to notice the hare staring at him. He smiled patiently. "Reliving old memories, friend?"

Peppy glanced away from the vulpine in the passenger seat, scratching at his face as heat rose to his cheeks. "Sorry, Fox. I don't know if I'll ever get used to it."

Fox pursed his lips. "Well, you might not have to. Now check weapons."

He produced a thin, compact blaster from his sleeve. The blaster's grip folded backwards to create a straight plane from handle to muzzle, allowing for the weapon to be concealed in narrow, long places such as sleeves. Peppy removed a magnet from the outside of his own sleeve, a precaution which kept the gun from sliding out after an over-exuberant hand-gesture.

After Fox made sure Peppy had the weapon, he nodded and slid his own back up his sleeve, connecting the magnet on the outside. "Alright. Let's rock and roll, old-timer."

As one, Peppy and Fox dismounted from the truck and slammed their doors. They walked up the steps to the hospital and entered the reception area. The hospital staff had no reason to suspect a thing. The pair had visited Krystal tens of times over the past month—it was just like any other day... except it wasn't.

The receptionist whom they were familiar with waved them on through, apparently busy on the phone. The same bearded dragon guard escorted them down the hall to Krystal's room, politely waiting outside for them. So far, all was going smoothly.

Once they were inside Krystal's room, the pair began to function like clockwork. Peppy slide a chair over to the door, lodging it between the doorknob and the floor. As he worked, Fox climbed onto Krystal's bed, standing with feet planted on either side of the vixen.

Finished with his first task, Peppy hopped onto the bed as well. Fox knelt down slightly, creating a step with his knee that Peppy used to climb onto his back and then shoulders. The hare grunted as he struggled to scale Fox, while the vulpine shook under the elder's weight. Fox braced his hands against the wall behind Krystal's head, while Peppy steadied himself against the ceiling.

"Hey Peppy," Fox whispered, "Wouldn't it be funny if Krystal woke up right now? With you on my shoulders standing over her?"

Peppy panted as he recovered from the exertion. "I have a feeling we'd scare her right back into a coma."

"Heh heh, yeah," Fox quietly chuckled. He shifted Peppy's weight on his shoulders. "Time's a wasting. Hurry up, you're getting heavy."

"Ohhh, I'm much too old for this..."

The hare pushed the plaster tile directly above him out of place. Then, with Fox's help, he climbed into the crawlspace between the ceiling of their room and the floor above. Without looking over his shoulder, he disappeared into the ceiling.

All of their activity didn't go unnoticed, however. Their stunt on Krystal's bed caused the springs to squeak and the frame to knock against the wall. These noises, when coupled with the pair's grunts and hushed whispers planted a very dirty thought in the guard's head.

Just outside the room, the bearded dragon's jaw was slowly opening in horror. _They can't be! _he told himself. _Every day, that pair's been coming to visit her to..._

Seconds later, he attempted to open the door, but found it barred from the inside. The noises from the bed stopped, but the guard continued on.

"Hey!" he shouted angrily. He stepped back, then threw all of his weight behind his shoulder like a battering ram. Several times he repeated this, until he suddenly found the door unbarred. It swung open, leaving him off-balance so that he stumbled in.

He whirled around to face the bed, crying, "What is _wrong_ with you sickos?! How can you take advantage of—"

But his words were sharply cut off as a glass bottle struck the back of his head. The bearded dragon fell to the floor, immediately blacking-out. He wasn't able to appreciate the broken glass of a beer bottle, nor the petals of flowers settling on the floor around him. These were the last moments of the flowers and vase Fox had gifted to Krystal.

* * *

It was dark, musty, and quiet in the ceiling space. Peppy had to be careful not to fall through any of the weak ceiling panels into the rooms below. He didn't want to drop in unexpectedly and alarm the sources of the muffled voices seeping up through the rafters.

With much difficulty, the hare army-crawled over the walls between the rooms so as not to put weight on the plaster tiles. As he slowly progressed, he looked to the holographic display on his wrist comm for guidance. The hovering pixels formed a blueprint of the hospital's layout—complete with room numbers, wall locations, and heating, cooling, and water pipes. This allowed Peppy to easily gauge his position by his surroundings, and maneuver towards the desired room.

Fitting through the tight space, however, was not such a breeze. More than a few times, Peppy found himself wedged between columns or rows of pipes crossing in the ceiling. It was a good thing he wasn't claustrophobic, or within five minutes of his little journey, he would have been curled up in a fetal position, sucking his paw until the fire department came.

At last, Peppy arrived above the room he was after. He double-checked the miniature landmarks around him with those on the map just to be safe. As a final measure of precaution, he gingerly shifted a panel over an inch to peer down into the room. Except for the occupant in the bed, the room was devoid of hospital staff.

Not wasting anymore time, Peppy scooted the panel all the way off, then lowered himself into the room. He dropped to the ground below, shoes clopping against the tiled floor. He stumbled from the impact slightly, huffing and wheezing as he straightened up. This was one of the rooms in the psychiatric ward, a portion of the hospital reserved for the criminally insane. These patients were violent psychopaths, cannibals, and serial killers, all without any hope of salvation. They were only kept around at the behest of patrons who felt some shred of attachment to them, whether they were relatives or old friends. And when they lost interest or stopped paying, they were used for spare parts or experimentation. If Krystal woke up still an incurable murderer, she would most likely end up with this lot.

Peppy took a deep breath, relieved to be out of the cramped ceiling space. Then he turned his attention to the room's occupant. Lying in bed was a Tasmanian devil of unnatural size. He was securely wrapped in a white straitjacket that bound his arms to his chest. The marsupial lurched back and forth in the cot at the sight of Peppy, but the jacket was also fastened to the sides of the bed, keeping him in place.

"Well now Mr. Taz, I see the hospital staff put you in time-out. But we've learned our lesson, haven't we?"

The marsupial hissed and growled in response, but his mouth was subjugated by a tight muzzle.

"No, I guess we haven't—which is for the best," Peppy joked. Though he teased the deranged creature, it was mostly to cover up the fear the maniac instilled in his heart. This was one package marked "handle with care"—one wrong move could prematurely release the beast on him.

Peppy eased towards the bed, removing the magnet from his sleeve and dumping the compact gun into his open palm. He charged up a shot, but instead of firing he placed the hot muzzle against the straps that bound the Tasmanian devil to the bed. A foul stench coiled up to Peppy's nostrils, and he twitched his nose and whiskers. The devil seemed to notice the implications of the hare's actions, and lay still for once.

But after Peppy had burned through all four straps, the marsupial started his convulsions again. He violently wiggled off the bed and onto the floor with a thud, thrashing about like a fish caught on dry land—a relation that did not escape Peppy.

"Easy Taz," Peppy cooed to the patient. He opened the door to the room and managed to kick the patient over to the exit. The whole process was like helping a salmon make its journey upstream. Once outside, he knelt over the devil and prepared to unleash him. The anomaly didn't go unrecognized, as several hospital staff down either directions of the hallway called out and began running towards them.

Peppy fired up two quick bursts on his blaster: the first for the marsupial's leg bindings, and the second for the straps around his arms. As soon as the Tasmanian devil was free, Peppy hopped back into the room crying, "Be free, Willy!" before slamming the door closed.

The hare placed one of his large ears against the door, observing the goings-on out in the hall. The blood-thirsty creature was quick to shake the straitjacket from the rest of his frame, and the approaching footsteps from the medical staff slowed and even turned in the opposite direction. They were ill-equipped to handle the beast without weapons or tranquilizers. With his muzzle free, the maniac snarled and charged the hospital staff, eliciting frightened screams.

Peppy sighed, giving the devil some time to pursue the nurses and vacate the area before he stepped back out into the hall again. Next was the patient in 173. His goal was to cause as much chaos and panic in the psychiatric wing of the hospital as possible, drawing the guards away from Fox and Krystal. So far he was succeeding, and as he headed down the white-washed hallway, the fruits of his labor were revealed.

Over the hospital-wide intercom, a distressed manager announced, _"Containment breach! Repeat, we have a containment breach! Subject 617 has escaped his confinement! Subject 617 is unarmed but extremely violent and_ highly_ dangerous. All hospital staff, guide your patients back to their rooms and secure them. Syndicate guards, make your way to the west wing. Shoot 617 on sight..."_

Peppy blocked out later announcements to continue with his objective. He arrived at the next subject's room, and proceeded to free him in the same fashion as the last one. This time, the mental patient was a chameleon with a disconcertingly quiet mannerism. Peppy was aware of how dangerous the lizard was, so the silent persona didn't fool him. It only terrified him.

Unlike last time, Peppy wasn't sure if there were any hospital staff outside the door. In all likelihood, they had evacuated the west wing by now, and only armed soldiers would remain. If he tossed the chameleon out in the hall, the guards would immediately shoot him—and come for Peppy next. Or, if no one was outside, the chameleon would simply turn on Peppy instead of running amok through the hospital.

With the last bond destroyed, Peppy threw himself backwards to run from the insane killer, but he had underestimated his adversary. The chameleon lashed out, grabbing Peppy's neck with both clawed hands. He crept out of bed, forcing Peppy backwards until his back pressed up against the wall. Even then he did not stop, opting to lift the hare an inch or two off the ground.

Peppy flailed and kicked, gripping the reptile's hands with his own, but it was no use. His lungs begged for oxygen and he coughed desperately for air, but the iron-tight grip refused to loosen around his throat. The white hospital walls which were so blinding began to fade to blots and sparkles of black, and Peppy felt himself slipping under. He had failed this part of the mission._ Sorry, Fox._

But before he lost all consciousness, shouts came from outside the room. Armed soldiers rushed in, instantly sizing up the situation. They tackled the chameleon to the ground, allowing Peppy to slide down the wall and catch his breath. While the guards became entangled with the lizard, Peppy coughed and wheezed until his mind and lungs were rejuvenated. Then, taking advantage of the opportunity, Peppy rose to his feet and ducked around the door.

The guards managed to put two and two together, realizing that he was the scoundrel releasing the prisoners. "It's him!" Peppy heard one of the soldiers shout from around the corner. "Get him!" Boots clopped in hurried steps down the hallway, rapidly gaining on him. The jig was up. Instead of luring the soldiers away with prisoners Peppy would have to distract them himself.

He gave the Syndicate soldiers a hell of a chase, until a second group popped up in front of him, sandwiching him in the hallway. Peppy slipped into an unoccupied room, and, with a running start, dove shoulder first out the glass window. The glass shattered into crystalline shards, falling in a rain around him. The room was on the first floor, so Peppy didn't have far to fall. With an audible "Oof!" he landed on the dried earth, cutting his arms and face painfully on the glass fragments.

Pushing himself up with his hands, Peppy ran around towards the front of the hospital and jumped into his truck. He had it started in a jiffy, then gunned the outdated carbon engine to lurch away from the hospital. He spun the truck around the cul-de-sac, turning so quickly that some of its wheels lifted off the ground. But in the time it took him to pull off the maneuver, the Syndicate soldiers rounded the hospital's corner and saw him escaping. They drew their weapons and fired on the truck, several bullets pinging off the bumper and hubcaps while lasers burnt holes through the walls of the trunk. One even melted the passenger window, striking the back wall just to the right of Peppy's head.

The hare cursed and ducked low, but didn't take his foot from the gas. His vehicle barreled out of the hidden valley, quickly turning onto the main road. Looking in the side mirror, Peppy confirmed that the guards had not given up the chase. A black armored hovercar had just pulled out from the refuge village, and was slowly but steadily gaining ground on his own vehicle. It was then that Peppy realized he wouldn't be able to lose his pursuers so easily. The road he was on was one of the long country roads that cleaved through large swathes of farmlands without deviating from a straight course. It would be miles before he found any semblance of a city or even the bare minimum of cover needed to shake the guards. Nor could he drive off the road and into the tall crops that lined the street, as the hovercar would glide over the rough terrain like a flying carpet, whereas his wheeled vehicle was locked to the ground.

Peppy did his best to speed ahead of his pursuers, but to no avail. Even after mashing the accelerator and pushing the truck to its max speed, the armored vehicle approached until it was only a dozen or so meters behind him. As he had expected, shots soon rang out over the open fields, and various projectiles struck his car or the street passing under it. Peppy clicked his buck teeth, swinging the glove compartment open to remove a more standard blaster—one that wouldn't have to charge like his piddly concealed one. After confirming the road was perfectly straight ahead of him, the elder placed the car on cruise control and turned around in his seat. Grabbing the roof of the truck with one hand, he sat in the open window and leaned out over the asphalt whizzing by beneath his shadow. The vibrations produced from the combustion engine, as well as the strong gusts ripping along the side of the truck made it difficult for Peppy to aim, but he closed one eye, stared down the sights of the blaster, and squeezed off several bursts at his opponents. Some of his shots hit the armored van, but none hit the soldiers he was aiming for.

At that moment, the scream of powerful engines tore across the countryside, and a majestic craft rose from the hospital valley. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the spacecraft shot straight upwards from the mounds of dark hills, climbing into the turquoise sky until it flew even higher than the sun. At the top of its arc, blinding white light glinted off the side of the ship, revealing it to be Krystal's arwing. Then, the fighter curved downwards, accelerating and leveling out until it swept dangerously low across the fields. It curved in a wide loop on the right of Peppy's truck, turning inwards until it blasted across the road. Before it crossed, the arwing fired its powerful laser cannons into the road, clipping the front of the soldiers' car and the street in front of it. The energy bolts blew the hood clear off and sent up a cloud of dirt and asphalt, causing the car to completely wipe out.

At the sight of his adversaries' destruction, Peppy whooped and hollered and raised his fist, voice lost to the wind. When he was done celebrating, he slipped back inside the truck and slid into his seat. To his surprise, the white and blue arwing pulled alongside his truck, slowing its speed to match with the lumbering vehicle—which was still traveling relatively fast. Beside him, the sleek spacecraft glided over the tops of emerald crops, whipping them into a frenzy as it passed. The pilot slanted the right wing down, the tip of which dipped into the rice water and shot up sprays of precipitation in its wake. This allowed Peppy to look into the cockpit, where he saw...

Fox sat at the controls of the arwing, with a sleeping Krystal curled up in his lap. The vulpine gave him a positive thumbs up, and Peppy burst into joyous tears at the sight.

"Oh, lord," he cried, dabbing at his blurry eyes with his paw.

With that small gesture of success, Fox released the wind flaps on the wings and gunned the ship's engines. The arwing effortless accelerated ahead of Peppy's truck, then angled upwards and pulled into the air. Peppy watched in satisfaction as Krystal's ship disappeared into the sky, becoming a small white speck as it headed towards outer space.

When the ship was gone from sight, Peppy turned his attention back to the road, laughing and crying all at once. "Welp, guess I'll have to go back to talking to myself again. I'll have to go into hiding, too—this time from the _Syndicate_ in addition to the Cornerians. Maybe Angus will give me a facelift discount..."

Peppy really hadn't considered what he'd do after Fox and Krystal made their escape. As the sun crept towards noon in the sky above him, the hare gave his next course of action some thought and drove down the monotonous road towards heaven knew what.

* * *

At first, there was only blackness. Then with each passing minute, more of the world was created. The sound of water came first—waves, lapping against the shore. Then seagulls calling in the dark, and the dulcet sound of leaves and cloth gently rustling in a subtle breeze. It was enough to lull a person back to peaceful sleep—yet for someone who had nearly slept their life away in a nightmare, it was a soundtrack gently coaxing towards the waking world.

A pleasing scent followed; the perfect mixture of familiar and new smells that complemented the sounds. The salt of the sea, the golden smell of sand, and the fresh smell of living plants and flowers. They hearkened back to a day long forgotten in the past, but at the same time, teased at a new adventure to come.

The sensation of touch came next. A plush cloud beneath her cheek, soft sheets and covers, and smooth garments that rested against her fur. It was like reposing on cloud nine.

Krystal's eyelids crept open, taking in the sight of the room. She lay on her side, facing a wall and a curtained window. Blue, ambient light seeped in through the translucent cloth, only faintly illuminating the dark room. The walls were made from bamboo and other tropical woods: the ceiling from thatched leaves and bark. A nightstand was placed on her side of the bed, and a deacon's bench sat beneath the window. On the dresser was a vase of flowers that were distinctly multicolored and vibrant, even in the dim, azure light.

The combined effect of this world was to set Krystal wholly at rest—though these orchids contributed the most. During the process of her awakening, a lingering shadow remained at the extremities of her consciousness. She felt as if she had come from a limbo of infinite nightmares, but was unable to recall the specifics of a single one. Thus, she was tempted to escape this new world of uncertain possibilities by slipping back into oblivion. Yet the utter paradise that lay before her now was overpowering, pushing back all of her doubt until it had disappeared. She no longer had the desire to sleep. She had slept far too long. It was time to rise.

Though Krystal lacked strength, she made up for it with impeccable resolve and the sheer desire to live again. She made to get up—lifting her head and pressing her arms into the bed for support—but made an alarming discovery.

Her hands were missing.

The vixen paused, staring down at her stubs of arms making impressions in the bed, unable to lift her further. Gone. Her hands were gone. She had uncovered the one crack in her paradise—or perhaps just the first. She began to feel the sensation of doubt once again, and a particular nightmare began to rear its ugly head and solidify in her mind... but she shrugged it off. She didn't have paws; that was a hard fact. But the teeth of the world seemed to have been removed as well. The heaven she was in now couldn't harm her, and neither could she harm it. Perhaps it was a price she would have to pay for such a heaven.

Krystal swung her legs out of the covers, placing her feet on the floor. She wore a white silk dress that felt as light and fluid as a nightgown. She couldn't remember the last time she had worn something as delicate, but then again, she couldn't recall much at all. The dress made her feel different somehow, awakening a variety of emotions in her to which she was completely alien. She felt vulnerable in the airy gown, especially because of her lack of hands. And at the same time, fragile, as if she were one of the flowers kept on the dresser; delicate, and in need of preservation. The utmost care was given to her and her choice surroundings.

Without the help of her paws, she leaned forward and rose off the edge of the bed. The Cerinian took a few tentative steps across the rug, moving towards the door to the room. Curiously enough, it lacked a doorknob or handle. She effortlessly pushed it open with her shoulder, and stepped through into the blue-lit hallway. Empty. She decided to hunt through the cabin for any other inhabitants.

Everywhere she went, the house was the same. Swinging doors without knobs, curtained windows that let in the azure light: and the ever present sea breeze. Krystal felt like a ghost haunting the small cabin. Unable to interact with anything made her entire existence incorporeal. Like a phantom, she glided through the house in her white, billowing gown. Her feet padded softly against the carpet, and she couldn't touch anything without her hands. She passed through doors like they were walls, sliding them open with her shoulder without gripping the nonexistent knobs. And all the while, she was alone. Not another soul occupied the cabin with her.

She began to doubt her own existence after coming up empty. Was she merely a shade walking through the land of the dead? It was a peaceful, pristine one at that. Was she dead? Was this the afterlife? Perhaps she had done this to herself—slit her wrists and ended up here. Then... why didn't she have hands at all?

Krystal needed someone, desperately. To prove she wasn't alone. To prove she was real—still alive in the land of the living. After her search through the house turned up fruitless, she found herself standing before the front door. Like the rest, it lacked any real knob, but still had an unlatched lock. She was free to go at will. With nothing for her in the house, she pressed the door aside and stepped into the world beyond.

Outside the cabin was a long beachfront that extended up and down the coast. The cabin sat just on the edge of a tropical forest, populated by swaying palms and leafy plants. The black silhouettes of the trees splayed out over the jeweled canopy of the sky. The celestial sphere was bright sapphire, even in the dead of night. Not a single slice of sky was without stars; there were trillions of them, all visible without the interference of light pollution. On the distant edges of the horizon, the sky was an even brighter aquamarine from the last vestiges of the setting sun. A green moon rose in the sky; Bayoon, the only satellite of Aquas. Krystal finally knew where she was... at least which planet she was on.

Krystal walked across the front porch and down some steps leading into the sand. The fine grains combined to make a smooth carpet, and she was pleased to have the sand under her padded feet. She stepped out of the cabin and forest's cover, ending up on the beach. The white bedding lead down an unnoticeable slope to meet the sea—miniscule waves rising and falling with the gentle tides. As a breeze picked up and whipped her gown into a frenzy, Krystal wrapped her arms around her lithe frame. She looked up and down the coast, trying to pink out any intelligent figures from the mess of dark shadows. Then, she saw him.

Standing far out on a cape that jutted into the sea was a lone figure. Even from this distance it was a familiar one, but hard to make out. Krystal set out once again, eager to meet any other lifeform on the ghostly island. As she padded closer across the beach, a person began to take shape. Pointed, triangular ears stood straight up atop his head. A bushy tail swept the sand behind him, and a white collared jacket rippled in the wind. But what really stood out in the blue night light was the red scarf whipping against his neck.

Krystal slowed to a stop fifteen paces or so away from the individual. His ears perked up after somehow being alerted to her presence. He turned, and the moonlight fell across his face. Krystal gasped when she put together the features of his face: angular vulpine muzzle, a smirk that showed canine teeth... and green eyes that seemed to glow with their own light.

"Fox," she choked out, already welling up with tears. He opened his arms in a welcoming gesture, and Krystal leaned forward to sprint across the sand. She collided head-on with him, but the stronger vulpine didn't even stumble back. She buried her head into his neckline, feeling the touch of his scarf and jaw fur—smelling the familiar scent of her loved one. Even after years of separation, these sensations were hard to forget. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her into a protective embrace, while she did her best to hug his torso. She wanted to return the gesture; holding onto him so he could never disappear again, but without hands she couldn't ensure that. Instead, Fox made up for that lack of security by holding her even tighter. She had to entrust their unity to him.

"Hey Krystal," he whispered, rubbing her cheek with his muzzle. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Fox," she cried back, shaking with sobs. "Promise me you'll never say goodbye again. If you disappear, I can't keep living without you!"

The vulpine raised his right hand, as if being sworn-in to give testimony at a trial. "Alright! I promise, Krys. I swear I'll never leave you again. Forget about Star Fox, forget about Venom and Corneria and space, forget about everyone else in the world. It's just us now—that's all it will ever have to be. My place is here with you... and I'm sorry I didn't realize it sooner."

Taking hold of her shoulders, Fox gently lowered her down to the sand. The two foxes sat on the edge of the cape, facing the infinite ocean and the glowing horizon. The lazy tides rose every so often, high enough to caress their bare paws. Krystal leaned back against Fox's chest, her head resting on his collar. And still, she couldn't stop the tears.

"I just... no matter how hard I try, I can't believe any of this is real. It's all so gentle and calming, and perfect—and I can't believe you're here, after being gone. Please tell me... is this real? Or just a dream, or-or are we both dead?!"

Fox confidently grinned as he stared out across the water. "This? Are you kidding? It's all real. Every grain of sand, every leaf and petal, every dashing fox—" he paused to plant a kiss on the top of Krystal's head. "—and every shameless kiss."

At this Krystal giggled, her tears beginning to slow. She didn't understand how Fox could act so carefree and positive after what they had been through. Yet this was the Fox she always knew: unwavering, strong, and happy.

Krystal lay securely against his strong frame for another few minutes, content to just soak in his presence. This: this was more than she could ever have asked for—more than her most fantastic of dreams. And yet he was here, by her side.

"I can't begin to express how happy I am that I have you back," Krystal whispered. She closed her eyes as she rested against his chest. "I've missed you all these years... there were so many times when I felt like I couldn't go on. Life was torturous without you. Why did you stay away so long? Where were you all this time?"

Whereas before Fox was stubbornly bright and optimistic, this was the first time his mood began to sour. He seemed to lose his joking attitude, his voice sounding more serious than before.

"Krystal... I don't want you dwelling on the past—not unless it's the good times we spent together. You've pretty much lived through hell; now it's time to forget all that. But I know you won't be content without knowing, without being able to believe we live in the same universe. So... I'll tell you. The Cornerians betrayed us, and separated us on Venom. I put my own life in danger to save yours, and was lost on Venom, struggling to survive. After I escaped that wasteland, the Cornerians hunted me all over the Lylat. I never met back up with you because... I couldn't put them on your trail as well. I couldn't risk losing you to the Cornerians. So I moved across the Lylat until they lost track of me. A few days ago, I finally felt safe seeing you again. I found you at a hospital, bought this house from a friend, and brought you here. And now that we're safely hidden away, I won't ever have to leave you again."

"But... but the Cornerians said you were dead!" A series of unpleasant memories began to resurface, but Fox soothed them away with his stern voice.

"They lied. They _wanted_ me dead. They took advantage of my disappearance to spread the word that the great Fox McCloud had died. Soon, they pretended like I didn't even exist. But just ignoring a thorn in your side doesn't make it go away. Krystal, I'm just as alive and as real as you are. I'm here right now, aren't I?"

"Yes, yes you are," Krystal admitted, breathing his scent in deeply.

At that moment, the vixen's stomach growled—something she was sure Fox was able to feel.

"Well look who's hungry," Fox teased her, confirming her fears. "I think it's about time we started you on solid foods."

"S-solid foods?" Krystal stuttered, confused. "What happened to me? Where have I been?"

"Resting," Fox answered simply. Then he added, "Getting your beauty sleep. And damn, has it paid off. But you're a bit too thin and sickly for my tastes. You need to start eating more, and we'll get you nice and healthy again. Why, there must be thousands of tropical diseases on this island alone; all of which would snap you like a twig if you caught them. Come on inside; I'll make you something to eat."

Krystal was unsure of what to say until she came up with a suitable retort. She stared up at him slyly. "If I remember correctly, your meals never surpassed microwave noodles, baked beans... and maybe some burnt toast if I was lucky."

Fox scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, a sheepish look on his face. "Er, I've picked up some culinary skills during my solo adventures. As a bachelor, you have to learn to cope."

Krystal mockingly dropped her jaw in surprise. "Let's hope this bachelor didn't pick up any side pieces while gallivanting around the Lylat!"

"There were some pretty hot Cornerian officers tailing me, but I prefer blue on my babe's fur, _not _on her uniform—catch my drift?"

Krystal giggled in response, allowing Fox to help her rise to her feet. The pair of vulpines traversed the cape head back towards the jungle, where they slipped back inside the cabin. Once inside, Fox flipped on the light switches, filling the bungalow with a warm, golden glow. The cabin looked much less ghostly and intimidating to Krystal once it was fully illuminated.

In the kitchen, Fox pulled out a bamboo chair for Krystal and seated her at the table. He removed a bag of raw fish from the freezer, popping them into a skillet with some oil. The fish didn't appear to be pre-packaged, and were rather sloppily scaled and boned.

"Did you catch those yourself?" Krystal asked.

"Yep. I got kind of bored on this island—at least while you were asleep. The neighbors weren't much for company, either, so gathering my own food gave me a way to occupy my time. Plus, they taste really good."

"Hmm," Krystal hummed, impressed. Soon Fox's words proved true, as the scent from the frying fish wafted to her nose. Her stomach growled even louder in anticipation. Peering around the vulpine, Krystal watched eagerly as he added a few choice spices and garnishes to add flavor to the simple meal. "Could I have a drink?" she asked. "Just to hold me over."

"Sure thing," Fox said. He grabbed a glass and filled it with juice from a carton in the fridge. "Now this juice—on the other hand—I did _not_ squeeze myself. However, I'm not averse to trying that sometime. Plenty of fruit on this island. Just don't trespass." And he clucked his lips and winked at Krystal. After pouring the juice, which looked to be fruit punch, he set the glass down on the table.

Krystal began to reach for the glass, attention still focused on Fox. "Are the neighbors really _that _bad? Maybe we should have found another desert island to settle do—"

Her fingers never found the juice. Instead, the stump of her wrist bumped into the glass, knocking it over and spilling fruit punch across the table and her dress. Krystal stopped mid-sentence, freezing in place. Slowly, she began to understand the reality of her situation. She was so absorbed by Fox's presence that all thought of her missing hands had fled her mind. But now it all came back. The nightmares, hiding just out of sight and mind, now returned in full force. Flashes of horrors and memories she never wanted to recount: Venom, prison cells, dark alleys, bars, a bed without Fox, an individual who _looked _like Fox, but couldn't be, blood, blood on her own hands and spattered across friends, and lastly, her hands just _gone_.

"W-w-what've I done?" Krystal choked out. "What'd they do to _me?_" She descended into incoherent babbling, emitting confused sounds without forming any words. She curled up on her seat, folding the stumps of her arms between her chest and her knees. Finally, she managed to whine the word, "_Whyyyy!?_"

After breaking into tears a second time—this time from horror and not joy—Fox was quick to jump to her side. He knelt on the kitchen floor beside her chair, placing a comforting hand on her back and the other on the table. "Hey, hey, whoa there! Come on, Krys, don't cry!"

"Fox, _I_ _don't have hands!_" Krystal nearly screamed, her shrill voice climbing up the cabin walls. "What am I going to do? How am I going to live like this!? I can't do anything now! I can't eat, I can't feed myself, I-I can't dress, I can't open doors or use machinery, I can't wash—Fox, what am I going to _do!?_"

Fox emitted a deep sigh, resting his head against Krystal's legs as his lungs deflated. After a few seconds of silence, he rose to his feet and slipped behind Krystal. He removed the remnants of her wrists from between her knees, then tenderly slipped his arms beneath hers, until his own paws extended past where hers should have been. He held them face upwards, palms open for Krystal to see.

"I guess... I'll just have to be your hands from now on."

Krystal stopped whimpering, instead looking down at the image of his open paws in place of hers. "What?" she eventually managed to blurt out.

"_Mis manos son _sus _manos,_" Fox said, then translated, "My hands are _your _hands. Wherever you go, I will follow. If there's anything you need done, I'll do it for you. I'll take care of you—your own personal slave, waiting on you hand and foot. See, we'll find a way to get by."

At these words, Krystal was left speechless. She couldn't think up any way to respond to Fox's overwhelming kindness, so she continued crying, overwhelmed by emotion. She let her chin sink to her collar, tears streaming down her face as she closed her eyes.

Fox extracted himself from her, then disappeared over towards the stove. When he returned, Krystal heard a plate clank against the table, and silverware scrape against a plastic surface. Shortly after, a shadow darkened her closed eyelids.

"Uh oh, looks like the arwing's coming in for a landing."

Krystal opened her eyes, confused. "What?" She found Fox holding a fork-full of fish close to her mouth.

"You know, like... 'Here comes the plane?' or 'Here comes the spaceship?' It's how parents feed their kids when they don't want to eat their vegetables."

"But... vegetables are good," Krystal pouted, still not understanding the gesture.

Fox pulled the fork back, scrunching up his face and eyeing Krystal. "I can see you don't get it. Let's try this again. Now, heeeeeere comes the arwing!"

The vulpine made a ridiculous-sounding engine noise with his lips, rotating the fork around as he moved it towards Krystal's face. Realizing how hungry she still was, she grudgingly opened her mouth and let Fox drop off the load of food.

As she closed her mouth to ravenously chew, Fox said, "Theeeere we go! How 'bout some more?" And he skewered another bite of fish, repeating the process.

"Oh this is so stupid," Krystal said, sniffling. "Didn't your mommy ever tell you not to play with your food?"

Fox shrugged, depositing the second mouthful. "I always play with a pussy before I eat it."

Krystal's eyes bulged, and she nearly spat out her food. "_Fox James McCloud! _What did you just say?!"

Fox raised the fork defensively. "Okay, sorry. Too soon? Too soon. I'll be sure to keep a civil tongue in my head, Ms. Princess Queen Ma'am."

Krystal glared at him, but her anger cooled to playful indignation. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth. "More please... _slave._"

"Yes, Mastah," Fox placated in a guttural, trollish voice. "Grimbo shall feed Mastah to her contentment! Grimbo will serve Mastah, forever!" He finished by plopping another bite of food into Krystal's expectant mouth.

The room fell relatively quiet as Fox dropped the goblin slave act and focused on feeding Krystal. The vixen was beginning to absorb Fox's contagious positivity, but now she lost the momentary rush as she fell to thinking about her hands again.

Taking note of her crestfallen features, Fox said, "If it makes you feel any better, Krystal, I promise I'll find you the best prosthetics money can buy. It's just not safe to visit a doctor right now. Both Corneria and Wolf's Syndicate are watching for us. Once they ease up, I swear I'll get your hands back, and you won't feel so frustrated. How's that?"

Krystal remained silent as Fox continued to feed her, brooding.

In between bites, she muttered, "...Maybe it would be best if I stayed this way."

This time it was Fox's turn to be bewildered. He paused in feeding Krystal, fork halfway to her mouth. "Wait, what did you say?"

"That would've fixed everything," Krystal continued. "If I never had hands from the beginning, I never would have committed those horrible acts. Those... _abominations._ Fox, I can't believe what I've done. I don't know how you can love me and stand to _be _around me after that, much less take care of me."

"Krystal, I don't blame you for doing all that. I couldn't care less, in fact. What's done is done—it's in the past."

Though Fox vehemently protested, Krystal could tell he didn't fully mean it. There was no way he could overlook the wrongs she committed. He was only saying that to make Krystal feel better, which she appreciated... but regardless, she could never forgive herself. As Fox tried to verbally soothe her, Krystal began dwelling on the specifics of her awful crimes. Whereas before the memories had flashed by in the blink of an eye, now they played out in detail before her—bloody scene after blood-soaked scene.

"I... I remember them now!" Krystal exclaimed, eyes wide and staring through the cabin wall at something on the horizon. "I remember everything I did after you left. I brought the team down the wrong path. I turned us into bounty-hunters, killers for hire—no better than-than murderers!"

Krystal wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them closer to her chest. She was trembling, with shock dominating her face. "Peppy left right away, but Falco and Slippy stayed on, out of their love for me. I was the reason they fell! _Me!_ Slippy of all people was never meant to kill and be exposed to this world. And Falco, he tried to lead what was left of our broken team, but he turned to addictions... we tried so hard to keep him clean before all this! And our friends... our _friends_... even they weren't safe from us. I can't believe I killed... I-I killed..."

The vixen tried to cover her face with her hands, but, growling, instead buried her face in her arms. She was hiding in shame from Fox.

"And now we're so different... so far apart. Remember when I used to be the innocent one? The starry-eyed girl you found on Sauria? And you, the hardened mercenary? I caught up to you. I matured, and lost my innocence, left it all behind to race on down the wrong path. I held on to the dream that one day, I'd find you. Before I lost everything and became a monster like this. And now... now I think it's too late! How can you possibly love me after that? I think... I remember someone... it was you, wasn't it? But it wasn't—it couldn't have been. You were dead... well, not dead, but gone, and yet... you were somehow by my side, all that time—"

"Krystal..."

"I feel like, during all that time you were gone, I was hurting you from across the Lylat, dragging you down that awful road with me. I tried to torture and hurt you like I had been tortured. I had a ghost of you still with me, and I abused him and beat him down and put a gun in his hand and told him to "shoot". And he did—"

"Krystal," Fox uncharacteristically sniffed, but Krystal was unaware of his emotions.

"I had some sort of effigy of you, and I stuck needles in him like a voodoo doll. Fox, I'm so sorry, I actually hated you during that time you were gone. I _hated _you. But at the same time, I loved you, and I still do, even if you can't understand that. I loved that ghost of you, and I'm struggling to see him, but... I know he's there in my memories. Oh, I wish I could see him clearly," Krystal growled, gnashing her teeth and wracking her head against her arms. "That phantom was all I had of you. It was..."

Krystal looked up at Fox, tears streaming down her face. "That small piece of you was the only thing that kept me from death—from self-destruction. Without it, I wouldn't be living now. It's silly, but I-I think I loved him."

"Krystal..."

Now the Cerinian saw that Fox really was crying. His carefree mask had unexpectedly slipped away, showing a more vulnerable vulpine than Krystal had expected to see. Somehow, he felt more... _real _to her.

"I love you too, Krystal," he sobbed, resting his head on her shoulder and embracing her. Krystal gazed down, slack-jawed at Fox's display of emotion. Even if they had been millions of miles away, clear across the System from one another, they had both aged the same amount. They had both experienced the same things: grown in the same ways. Almost like they had never been apart, and that Fox _had _changed alongside her.

"It's been a long time since I last saw you, Krystal," Fox cried into her shoulder. "Even if you couldn't see me, I was there, watching over you; making sure you were safe, waiting in agony until you awoke, drowning in self-pity because—because I was powerless to save you. But I challenged myself. I figured it all out. I changed for you... I worked so hard for this day. And now it's here, so..."

Fox looked up at her with tear-stained eyes. "So there's nothing you can say or do to ruin it! Don't worry about it. The fact that we can see each other again, and the fact that you're safe is all I care about. I want to see you genuinely smile again. I just... want you to be at peace. I want you to be able to sleep at night and dream without nightmares. And when you wake up, I want our reality to mirror those dreams."

He sniffed, pausing momentarily to dry his tears with his sleeve. "And I know it won't be easy for you—getting rid of those nightmares and forgetting about your past—but together, we can leave it all behind. Like I said, it's just you and me now—no one else in the world. For all we know, this island is the center of the universe. And, if I'm honest... you're mine. Krystal, I want to help you forget. I want to help you leave your burdens behind. Are you—are you ready to start now?"

"Start..._now?_" Krystal echoed. "I guess so, but I don't see how you can just wipe away my past. It's here," she said, tapping her head with her forearm. "And _here_," she added, moving her arm to her heart. "I don't know if a change is even possible, but... if you think you can, I'll trust you. What do we... what do we do?"

With his own tears dried, Fox rose to his feet. "It's uh... it's been a while since you last bathed... correct?"

"Bathed?"

"The cleanliness at the hospital you were at was pretty... meh. I think it's about time you had a shower. With my help, of course."

"You mean you'd... help me?" Krystal blushed and fidgeted in her seat. She was embarrassed at the thought of disrobing before Fox, but... somehow, that awkwardness and embarrassment felt good. She didn't remember feeling so abashed in recent years. Perhaps that could rationalize why she answered, hesitantly, "...Alright."

Fox smiled in return. "Follow me." He gently took hold of her elbow, helping her out of the chair. He lead her out the front door of the cabin and back into the warm night air. Descending the few steps to the sandy floor, they rounded the house together and paused in front of the shower. It was a crudely made wooden stall nestled on the back of the house, charming because of its simple, rickshaw construction.

Fox reached into the stomach-high stall, turning on the water to preheat it for the vulpines. Krystal seated herself on a bench, looking on while Fox stripped out of his clothes. She was ashamed to admit it, but one of the things she had missed about Fox was his muscular physique. With his shirt removed, she awkwardly stole glances at his chest and abs, admiring his near-chiseled form. He slipped out of his pants as well, now standing before her only clad in a pair of trunks.

Krystal was beginning to feel warm and excited—a result caused by both the tropical air and the handsome fox who stood opposite her. And when he stepped towards her, she felt her heart leap and flutter in her chest, becoming nervous and short of breath. It was her turn now.

"Can I help you with that?" Fox asked, tentatively pointing to her nightgown.

Krystal brushed the sides of her gown with her wrists, but couldn't locate a grip for her arms. She would need help after all. Now she began to realize the full extent and necessity of her absolute trust in Fox.

Slowly she nodded, allowing Fox to come even closer and help her with the dress. He slipped the shoulder straps over her arms, allowing the gown to drop down her lithe frame and gather in a pile at her feet. He reached for the back of her bra next, pausing for confirmation from Krystal. Her hesitation and uncertainty were not lost on Fox, who knew each of her physical and incorporeal scars as if they were his own. And did Krystal imagine it, or was Fox nervous, too?

Krystal looked down in shame, but signaled Fox with a second nod. The male vulpine fidgeted with the back strap of her bra, eventually undoing the clasp and letting the article land beside her gown. Fox touched her elbow again, having her step out of the pile of clothing and out of the shadows as well.

Aquas' moon Bayoon was full, just reaching its zenith for the night. The light of Lylat's star shown down on the island, bathing Krystal's body in a silver and emerald glow. Her undercoat of pale fur—extending from her muzzle, neck, and breasts to her stomach and abdomen—especially caught the bright rays. Her tribal tattoos shown as well, glowing as if they were an autonomous source of light.

It was awkward standing so naked before Fox. It caused her cheeks to burn with heat, and she wanted to reach up and scratch them. At the same time, she felt excited and—dare she think it—aroused by the prospect. Now she realized why she didn't mind the tense situation; she still had the ability to feel shame, to feel that she had an innocence and a delicateness left to protect from the Lylat—and reveal to choice people.

In that moment, she became reacquainted with a state of being she had not experienced for years: the feeling of being a woman. She was devastated by her loss of innocence, the mysterious inner-beauty she had to keep the outside world from poisoning. She thought it was all gone. And yet here she was, blushing before Fox like a young virgin. The mere fact that she _had_ something to feel awkward about was enough to give her the courage and the desire to move on.

Before Fox could make a move, Krystal placed her arms on his torso and lead him into the shower with her. The cascading water was at the perfect temperature: lukewarm, a refreshing alternative to the tropical Aquas climate. The liquid beads drummed against Krystal's neck and shoulders, massaging them until electric currents shot up and down her back. The limited size of the shower placed Krystal in close proximity to Fox, and she was lucidly aware of every chance brush of skin between them. She wanted to reach out and pet his sopping wet fur but knew it would be futile.

Fox lifted a bar of soap from the shower ledge, lathering it in his hands until it produced a white foam. "Ready?" he asked.

"Go on already," Krystal chided him, though she timidly glanced around the open stall. The walls were ridiculously low, as if privacy wasn't a legitimate concern of the original owner. Over the wooden boards Krystal could see the jungle foliage—and anyone standing there could equally see inwards. The walls weren't even tall enough to conceal her breasts, and Krystal found herself crossing her arms for protection.

"Wait! What if someone sees us?" she whispered.

"Our neighbors keep to themselves. They respect each others' privacy, and expect others to do the same—especially off-worlders like us. Now hold still—"

Fox placed his soap-covered paws on Krystal's shoulders, massaging the suds into her azure fur. Krystal closed her eyes and leaned her head onto Fox's chest as he kneaded her back, releasing synesthetic waves of warmth and pleasure down her spine. It felt so good that Krystal couldn't help a small sigh escaping her breath to break against Fox's chest.

From her back, he moved to washing her arms and wrists. With the utmost care, he worked around the rounded stubs of where her hands used to be. The broken ends of her ulna and radius bones were barely visible through a thin layer of healing skin. It was a gruesome sight to Krystal, but she felt reassured when Fox washed over it and somehow made the wounds... alright. Beautiful, even.

Krystal watched the ivory streams of soap and water flow down her body, taking with it flakes of skin, clotted fur, and grains of dirt. The physical experience of literally being washed clean comforted the vixen. The sacramental act of cleansing touched her very spirit; not only were the dirt and grime washed away, but also the blackened spots and incriminating blood marring her soul. She felt her sins dripping down her body, running through her fur to disappear into the rusted metal drain at the bottom of the shower. Fox was right; the liturgy did help her forget.

With each clot of horror that broke free from her skin, she felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She felt as airy and light as the cool breeze passing through the shower. She was no longer ashamed of her scarred body—no longer held captive by her checkered past.

After discovering this new freedom, she found the courage to walk the next step and draw nearer to Fox. She wrapped her arms around his soaking back, longing to sink her fingers into his strong shoulders. She pressed her chest against his, until they stood as one in the cascade of water.

With her cheek against his neck and her lips brushing against his fur, she whispered, "Fox, let me in."

Fox hummed softly, returning the embrace and resting his hands on Krystal's back. He understood immediately, and invited his partner into his head. Krystal breathed deeply and closed her eyes, as if she were diving underwater. Using her telepathy, she reached out with her conscience and until she could feel Fox's. The initial touch was felt like two incorporeal bubbles gently bouncing off one another, followed by a series of reverberations that resonated in their souls. Then she pressed onwards, driving her mind straight into his.

At first she could only read his physical sensations—the smell of soap and damp wood, the feeling of her own body against his, and the sound of the shower droplets. She was essentially experiencing the world through his eyes. But she dug deeper into his being, and was soon able to read his surface emotions as well: a hurricane of happiness and melancholy and love. It was here she metaphorically sat down, floating in a black void surrounded by swirling clouds of sensations. Dust storm and sandstorm swept over her, transferring electric emotions to her own conscience. She leaned forward, pressing a digit into a curtain of black—the next layer of his mind. It split like a veil, or a waterfall parting over a rock. Through it, she was able to see actual thoughts and visions swirling in Fox's head. She caught thousands of such images flashing by, but was unable to make sense of any of them. Instead, she relied on Fox to pick some out for her.

In this moment, Krystal felt the closest to Fox she had ever been in years. Like their unclothed bodies, their naked minds touched and intersected one another. Fox brought pleasant memory after joyous memory to Krystal's attention, and she enjoyed the movie theater experience of watching their shared moments together. Even as they relived past memories, they recreated an entirely new one in the cabin's shower, entwining their lost past with the present. It was moments like these that Krystal lived for. Fox had stopped her from painting her entire world with negative memories—memories that would only make her wish for death.

The cure was to realize, rediscover, and remember the good ones.

After an eternity locked in this dual mental and physical embrace, Fox reached behind Krystal and twisted the faucets off. As the water from the shower head sputtered out, he asked, "All better now?"

"Yes, Fox," Krystal answered. "Much better." At this point, she lifted her head and yawned uncontrollably.

"Looks like you're getting tired already," Fox observed. "Must be pretty low on energy as well, after spending so long in a coma. You should try to take it slow... how about we turn in for the night?"

"Bedtime does sound appealing," Krystal admitted. Then she glanced away, sheepishly. "Especially if you're there."

"Wouldn't dream of missing it," Fox said, guiding Krystal out of the shower. Two towels were already folded on the bench, the first of which Fox grabbed for Krystal. He proceeded to dry Krystal off, fluffing up her coat of fur from head to foot. When he was done, he grabbed the second towel for himself, but Krystal cleared her throat to catch his attention.

"Yes?"

Blushing but smiling coyly, Krystal gestured down towards her nether regions. "You forgot something. My underwear's soaked through."

"Oh, right..." Fox trailed off awkwardly. After a moment of hesitation, he knelt down beside Krystal and slipped his fingers into her panty straps. _"Pardon the intrusion," _he mumbled under his breath. He slipped the undergarments down Krystal's legs, and she nimbly stepped out of them.

Krystal couldn't decide which was more exciting: being completely naked before Fox and the great outdoors, or how her mate clumsily reacted to the situation. She watched as his eyes darted from place to place, heart skipping a beat whenever they brushed over her. Fox scooped up her panties and rose to his feet, hanging them on the side of the house to dry.

"Yours are looking pretty soaked as well," Krystal stated. Now that she had Fox embarrassed, she was growing more confident.

"Heh heh, yeah... how 'bout that." Fox screwed up his face, then finally worked up the courage to remove his own undergarments. Krystal watched attentively as he struggled out of his trunks, nearly losing his balance and falling over in the process. She even giggled when she saw how aroused he was.

"It's a pity we didn't shower _after _we were like this," Krystal half-joked.

"I'm sure it would have been fun," Fox agreed. He glanced around the jungle a bit, as if he were searching for a place to run. Then, he raised his arm up to scratch behind his head and hurriedly said, "You know, Krystal, if you wanted to... to _do _it out here, we could—but only if you really wanted to! It's a crazy idea, and if you asked me, I don't think it's a good one. We just found each other after several years, and I don't want to rush into things. Then again, I don't mean to talk you out of it if that's what you really want—heck, I'm all for it, but—"

Without warning, Krystal yawned again. Her eyes were watering, and she could barely keep them open—much less stand on her feet. She plopped down on the bench, saying, "Alright Fox, not tonight."

Fox seemed relieved for some reason. "Oh, really? Well that's okay, then. I underst—"

"I want to have plenty of energy for our lovemaking," Krystal interrupted him again, smiling.

Fox paused with his mouth open, eyes wide at Krystal. He glanced away for a second, muttering, _"I should've known this was in my job description..."_

"I'm just too tired right now," Krystal continued, "But we have all of tomorrow... and the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that! So, for now..." She reached up with her severed arms towards Fox. "...Carry me to bed? Pretty please?"

It was plain that Fox couldn't resist her childish begging. He scooped her off the bench, carrying her in his arms back inside. He navigated the short hallways of the cabin to their bedroom, where he sat Krystal down atop the pillows. Fox folded the covers down, allowing her to slip into the sheets. When she was comfortable, Fox made his entrance on the other side of the bed, scooting up to Krystal. Beneath the covers, Krystal threw an arm over Fox's side and sank into his chest like a pillow. Already, sleep was beginning to overtake her.

"Goodnight, Krystal..." Fox whispered.

The vixen sighed blissfully in response. To fall asleep in her lover's arms was enough—to be close to him and know he was there. For the first time Krystal slept without nightmares, but dreams of endless possibilities of what the future would bring. And through all the exciting uncertainty, one fact held true; she would never spend another night alone.

* * *

**A/N: I lied. Next chapter's the end :D Too many loose ends to leave untied, and too long for one chapter.**

**Fun fact: I finished proofing this chapter on my back porch late at night. A cute little raccoon paid me a visit looking for food, and I sent him home with an old slice of pizza XD**


	30. Keys to the Kingdom

**X**

**Chapter 28: Keys to the Kingdom**

* * *

After a weight shifted and disappeared from Krystal's side, she blinked herself awake. The bedroom she shared with Fox was currently dark, meaning it was sometime during the night. She breathed in the fresh island breeze that always filled the room, but soon noticed Fox's presence was gone. During the past month they spent in each others company, Krystal had grown to treat Fox as her own personal security blanket; a life raft she could cling to and ride out the storm. There wasn't a moment when the pair of foxes were separated on the island, which made Krystal curious and even begin to worry when she realized Fox was gone.

A muffled rapping reached her ears, sounding like it came from the front door. This was equally strange, as none of the island's inhabitants were the social, visiting type.

Realizing Fox had gone to answer the door, Krystal slipped out of bed and folded her arms over her nightgown. She padded over the soft carpet to the bedroom door, which she cautiously leaned against to open it a crack. Krystal peered down the dark hallway, noticing Fox stop before the front door. The tod removed a series of chain locks before pushing it open.

Outside the moon brilliantly reflected off the ocean, silhouetting the robed vulpine with a bright blue and emerald light. Krystal gasped when she noticed the tip of a blaster emerging from his long robe sleeve, but soon realized it was only a precautionary measure. Beyond the armed fox stood another figure, also framed against the ever-changing sea. Judging from his black outline, he was a round-faced simian who stood at a rather short height. All-in-all he was far from intimidating, yet he still kept his ground against the armed opponent.

Fox waved his blaster dismissively at the simian. "Get out," Krystal heard him say. "I don't keep company with Venomians."

Their visitor wasn't dismissed so easily. "You're Fox McCloud, correct? Leader of Star Fox?"

"Sounds like a _Star Wars_ ripoff. You've got the wrong fox. Now scram, twerp."

"I'm Dash Bowman."

This seemed to stall Fox, as he didn't immediately turn the primate away again. The name meant something to both Fox and Krystal. All the same, Fox's response eventually came, if not slower than before.

"Andross has several surviving relatives. None of them want to be connected to that name. In fact, they all want to distance themselves from it. Why should I look at you any differently?"

"Because I don't run from my heritage... nor my past. And neither do you, Fox McCloud." Krystal observed that the simian spoke with a dignified air about him. Even if he was small and unthreatening, he had a special tact of wielding authority using only his words.

"I only want to discuss some important matters with you," Dash continued. "Like Pepper, Corneria... and the future of the Lylat."

Fox's ears twitched in annoyance. "Look, how did you even find me here?"

"I have an uncle on Katina. His name is Angus Bowman. He told me where to find you."

At the mention of that particular name, Fox's frame stiffened. He glanced over his shoulder back at the bedroom door, but failed to notice Krystal watching through the crack. Finally, he seemed willing to hear the primate out. "Alright. Let's talk on the porch."

Fox closed the door behind the two of them, and Krystal heard the porch floorboards creak as they walked across them. With the hallway obscured by darkness, Krystal crept out of the bedroom and trailed after them. The two men sat on a wicker glider and chair on the porch, while Krystal sat on a couch beneath the window. She quietly rested against the plush cushions, facing backwards on the couch so she could study Fox and Dash through curtains without them knowing. She knew Fox would chide her for spying on him, but her curiosity proved too strong.

"Now, Mr. Bowman... what exactly did your uncle tell you about me?"

While Fox leaned back on the wicker glider, Dash sat on the edge of his seat with his hands steepled. "He said you came to him for a plastic surgery job."

Before he had even gotten the words out, Fox had whipped the blaster up to point directly at Dash's head. "Wrong answer."

Krystal could barely contain a surprised gasp. She was shocked that such a simple statement would draw Fox's wrath, and equally confused as to why Fox would need plastic surgery at all. Eagerly she waited for Dash to clarify, and not simply cower before Fox's threatening weapon.

"He said you wanted to run. You visited him to change your face, to hide that you're really _the_ Fox McCloud. The one who defeated my grandfather and saved the Lylat. And the one whom the Lylat betrayed."

At this explanation, Fox let the gun lower. He still wasn't satisfied, however. After thinking for a moment he responded, "I spoke with your uncle under the promise of complete secrecy. Why would he give out the personal location of one of his clients, especially if they're a fugitive?"

Dash grinned, his teeth sparkling in the moonlight. "Well that one's a no-brainer, isn't it? I'm his nephew with lofty ambitions. But what you wouldn't glean on your own is that my cause seemed important enough to him to reveal your location."

"Oh? And just what is this cause?" Fox asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"The only worthy cause, shared by every creature in the Lylat—regardless of species, planet, or faction. Everyone except one man. _Pepper._"

"Go on," Fox urged. "I'm listening."

"I need your help, Fox. You're the only person capable of meeting my needs—_Lylat's _needs. Behind a thin veil of democracy, Pepper rules Corneria and by extension the rest of Lylat by himself. He's a tyrant without anything to check his power—a dictator who rules with an iron fist. And anyone who doesn't play his game or follow orders gets exiled to a prison on Venom, or the wastelands. You've seen this side of Pepper yourself, haven't you, McCloud?"

Fox nodded, remaining silent.

"General Pepper has the entirety of Lylat under his iron fist. He's more powerful than Corneria's parliament or Chancellor. He has direct power over the colonies on Katina, Fichina, and Fortuna. Cornerian soldiers occupy Aquas, Macbeth, and Titania under the guise of "protection," after helping them stave off my grandfather. He's keeping the refugees from Zoness in space until they pledge their allegiance to Corneria. He even has the once mighty Wolf O'Donnell at his beck and call. And every bit of this is wrong. His iron grip is crushing the System, squeezing it dry. Its citizens can't live like that. The Lylat needs a hero once again, Fox. We need you."

"What... what exactly are you getting at?" Fox asked.

"I want you to lead a united coalition against Corneria. I want you to commence the Second Lylat War."

Krystal felt her stomach drop into an icy pool; she could barely believe what she was hearing. While the memories and nightmares of her past had been washed away, she still knew of the injustices and pain Pepper had done her and the rest of the System. But she also knew of the vast size of the Cornerian Empire, a threat that loomed over the pair of foxes like the Aquan moon hovering above the sea. Surely Fox couldn't stand up to something like that; it was the very reason Star Fox and its leader had gone into hiding.

To her surprise, Fox asked, "Just who is part of this coalition you mentioned? Do they represent a formidable threat to Corneria? Last time I checked, there was no such unity."

"With you, Fox, there would be. Corneria has more enemies than friends; all we need is you to unite them. The oppressed colonies, the occupied planets, the Syndicate, and the Neo-Androssians: all of these groups would readily set aside their differences to face their shared opponent. For years I've been planning this. Your teammate Falco Lombardi would be our emissary to the Zonessian refugees—perhaps even their leader. Slippy Toad could summon the rebels of Aquas, Peppy Hare could lead the Katinan expatriates, Bill Grey could turn disillusioned Cornerians to our cause, and I would lead the Neo-Androssians. As Andross' heir, the Venomians would surely pledge allegiance to me. I'm sure we could get help from the Titanians, Fichinans, and Fortunans as well, and Wolf O'Donnell would command the space pirate Syndicate. All of these factions just need you to lead them, Fox. A System-wide revolution, yours for the making."

Fox scratched his chin. "There's just one problem here. Wolf would never agree to help. He's grown too soft, too complacent with Corneria. He'd never risk his monopoly on the black market in open war with Corneria."

"Then why don't you take his place?" Dash posited. "He used to be a legend among criminals and rogue mercenaries. Now he's grown unpopular. You think _others_ can't see the same weakness you see?" Dash leaned in closer to Fox. "I also know there is a personal rivalry between you two. You'd like to see him dead, wouldn't you? He's the one who took the hands of your loved one."

"Don't you _dare _bring Krystal into this."

"How can you let Wolf escape without paying for his crimes? He's harmed you two just as equally as Pepper has. He deserves justice." Dash clenched his fists. "I know how you must feel sometimes, Fox. You feel like everyone in the Lylat is united against you, set on taking your future away. You feel that your only choice is to run from it all, to live out the rest of your life in hiding. But I've been there before, and I can tell you that is not the answer. Both Pepper and Wolf may be against you, but the grandson of Andross is not. I'm here to give you help from the most unlikely of places; the very empire you brought down so many years ago. The solution is to rise up and fight it, Fox. Take charge of the Lylat. Take Wolf's place; your team's certainly popular enough among the outlaws. They'd readily follow you over Wolf."

Fox let out a deep sigh, sinking back into the glider. After brooding for a minute, he replied, "I'm sorry, but I can't accept your offer. I never wanted the fame, nor the money, nor the responsibility that came with being Lylat's hero."

"Then don't do this for yourself, Fox," Dash reasoned. "Do this for the inhabitants of the Lylat. Surely you could find within yourself the altruism to help these suffering people."

"No thanks. I tried being their savior once, and look how that turned out for me and my loved ones. They turned their backs on me, so I don't mind indulging in a little selfishness. If I joined a revolution, I'd be separated from Krystal—possibly for forever if I happen to die. I can't leave her alone again."

"Fox James McCloud!"

Both Fox and Dash were startled at the vixen's outburst, surprised that they were being spied upon. "K-Krystal?" Fox stammered.

The Cerinian had waited long enough. She resolutely left the couch and marched onto the deck, planting her feet firmly before the pair of men. Crossing her arms she berated Fox, "How can you possibly be so selfish!? How can you think _I'd _be so selfish!? There's no way I would spend the rest of my life in a safe haven like this while the rest of the world suffered under tyranny! What ever happened to the great Fox McCloud I once knew—the one I fell in love with in the first place? From the moment you rescued me, I grew to love you. And from the moment you saved the Lylat from Andross, there wasn't a man, woman, or child who didn't feel gratitude towards you!"

During the outburst there was nothing for Fox to do but cower in his seat and try to sneak a word of his own in, all to no avail. There was no escaping the vixen's wrath, so he had to ride the storm out. Dash in the meantime was rather embarrassed he had been caught up in a family spat, but he still couldn't help the smug look on his face. He knew he had Fox now.

After the convicting eruption, Krystal felt the tug of tears at her eyes. She raised her empty sleeve to her cheek, wiping at the trails of salt. "It's not fair that I keep you all to myself," she sniffed, now fixing Fox with tear-stained eyes, "Not when everyone in the world needs you more. Whether you like it or not, you're their resident hero. It's your responsibility to take up their cause and lead them to freedom. And..."

Here the vixen's voice broke, and she couldn't help the new storm of tears that leapt to her eyes. Instead of wiping them, she smiled and continued beseeching Fox. "And I'll be fine without you, for a little while. I know we haven't seen each other in years, and I honestly would've died without you returning, but you've already done so much for me. You saved me from my prison on Sauria, you saved me from all my past mistakes, and now you saved me from myself. It's time I gave you up so you could share some of that "saving" with everyone else. Fox... I want you to lead them."

No matter what counter-argument Fox came up with, none of them would ever satisfy the vixen. He sat on the glider, running through hundreds of responses in his head, all to no success. Finally he stood up, stepping across the porch towards Krystal. Using the back of his paws, he dried her tears, at the same time pulling her into an embrace.

"Alright Krystal. I promise. I promise to save the Lylat once again—but just know I'm doing it all for you. Once Pepper is gone and the System is ridden of tyranny, I swear I'm catching the first flight back here."

"Fox..." Krystal sobbed, hugging him back.

As the two embraced for a growing stretch of time, Dash began to feel increasingly awkward. Eventually he cleared his throat, causing Fox to pull away slightly and address him.

"Oh, uh... are you still here? We can discuss the details tomorrow. There still are some things I have to take care of before I leave with you. Do you have a place to stay? You can sleep here if you want."

"No, that won't be necessary," Dash hurriedly explained. "I'm traveling with a crew of Aquans right now. I'll come back in the morning."

Fox scratched the back of his head. "I almost forgot. I may or may not have sold my dreadnought to pay for this cabin and a few other expenses..."

"I understand," Dash said, waving his hand. "Don't worry. I'll have my Neo-Androssians track it down and re-purchase it for you. With force if necessary." And with that the simian rose from his chair and stepped off the porch into the sand. Still arm-in-arm, Krystal and Fox watched his dark silhouette disappear up the coastline.

"Is this what you really want, Krystal?" Fox asked.

"Yes, yes it is. It's for the good of us all."

The vulpine sighed. "I guess this is the last step, then."

* * *

Through a quietly clicking and whirring cybernetic eye, Wolf O'Donnell surveyed the inner atrium of Sargasso Spaceport. Some emissaries from Titania were waiting to finalize a shipment of spices from the region, but Wolf was far from interested. _Just give me the damn tablet and let me sign it already._

He would have used both eyes to study Sargasso's main floor, but he was still suffering from a hangover. It seemed nine times out of ten, he woke up with one. The bright lights from the near rave show taking place on the floor below stung his one good eye, so he kept it closed. Unable to feel pain in his artificial eye, he left it open and scanned the swarm of heat signatures. Black market traders, blockade runners, rebels, hitmen, bounty hunters—all those and worse congregated in the Lylat's largest criminal hub. Below his personal balcony, deals were being discussed over the transportation of illicit spices and drugs, desperate employers hired assassins to eradicate nuisances, and enemies broke out in fist-fights and duels.

And Wolf was missing out on all of it.

From his veritable throne atop the surveillance balcony, the lupine felt like the god of the underworld. Even though—for all intents and purposes—he was its god, it was an awfully dull privilege. His daily routine consisted of waking up, throwing up, chugging some painkillers, getting debriefed by his agents, signing some electronic paperwork, and getting wasted to the point of blacking out... all of this only to wake up with another hangover.

Sitting atop his steel throne, Wolf gazed down longingly over the assortment of outlaws populating the deck. Several of them reminded him of himself. Roaming the tables, drinking booze, searching for a job. But not anymore.

Sighing, Wolf folded his arms, only to be painfully reminded of his prosthetic limb. Sure there were many advantages to having one. When working in sync with his artificial eye, his robotic arm would guarantee a win in any gunfight. It was his leg that was the problem. The leg never quite balanced right, and when combined with the arm became quite the burden to lug around. Soon he quit the mercenary business altogether, settling down and opening Sargasso Spaceport to others like himself. Before he knew it, he was the wealthy head of the Sargasso Syndicate, and disposed to some tedious duties.

As Wolf's eye fixed on one specific outlaw in the crowd, he released a sigh that revealed a hidden age beyond his years. Yes, maybe he could end it all; abandon the empire he built with his own hands and start all over. Maybe just take Leon and Panther and revive their old team. Or just go it alone. Now _that _sounded appealing.

_If it wasn't for this damn robotic imposter slowly taking me over._

"Would you sign here, Boss?"

_Guess there is a god in heaven after all. _Wolf eagerly scrawled his signature on the tablet before handing it back to his chief of staff. The underling in turn handed it back to the Titanian emissaries, while Leon looked on. The chameleon stood with his hands clasped behind his back, oddly grinning at the transaction. This annoyed Wolf, who couldn't understand what he was getting off on; Leon shared Wolf's lack of affinity for such matters.

The lupine was in the process of opening his mouth to grill the assassin when an impact rocked the entire Sargasso Spaceport. Wolf grabbed onto the arms of his chair for support while the rest of the men on the balcony stumbled and fell. Leon was the only fool left standing—still with his disconcerting grin.

If only Wolf had made something of it then.

"Ferrick, what in blazes was that?" Wolf growled, turning to his chief of staff. The agent barked a question into his radio while the Syndicate soldiers on the other end scrambled for an answer. Before they could respond, more and more impacts rocked the station, and the ceiling of the atrium was lit with flashes of orange and white.

"Wolf, an unidentified company has blown through gate security. We denied them access to the hangars because their numbers were over the regulatory limit, but now they're boarding us by force!"

"Well mount a counteroffensive!" Wolf snarled. "Kick them out of the hangars—and find out who they are!"

Ferrick relayed the orders to his men only for more bad news to return.

"I'm getting reports that they're Neo-Venomians, Boss. _Thousands _of them. I'm afraid they're more highly trained then our scrubs."

"Those delusional bastards," Wolf spat. "After all I've done to protect them, _this _is how they repay me? Who covered their asses after they attacked Corneria City and Pepper slobbered bloody murder? _I _did. Why of all people are they angry at _me?_ I worked for Andross... once."

"More bad news, Boss," Ferrick continued. Wolf adored how timid the creature's voice changed between addressing Wolf and ordering around his own underlings. "The hangars have fallen completely. The force is trying sir, but we're being pushed back."

Wolf waved his paw—his real one. "Don't worry about it. I haven't seen so much excitement like this since Corneria tried to drill holes through us. Have the men fall back to the main deck and lock the gates behind them. We'll regroup and strike back so hard we'll have them scrambling to jump out the airlocks. Have our patrols attack their transports, and offer any non-Syndicate privateer cash on the head for each Androssian they kill."

As Wolf ordered, the Syndicate soldiers retreated into Sargasso's central atrium and barred the gates behind them. In the crowds of outlaws below, most seemed confused and worried at the prospect of an assault on their beloved hub. Gamblers cleared poker chips and credits off tables, some guzzled down the last of their drinks before drawing weapons, and assassins and hitmen crept away to find hidden vantage points for the upcoming conflict.

Wolf eagerly rubbed his paws together. "Oooh mama this is going to be good." In anticipation of the showdown, he struggled out of his throne and limped to the edge of the balcony, leaning heavily against the railing. Leon soon joined him, and together they watched the unfolding skirmish.

Syndicate soldiers, pirates, merc outfits, and lone gunmen alike took up positions facing the three gates. They overturned tables for cover and stacked up crates, staring down the sights of blasters or the scopes of sniper rifles. The amount of laser dots hovering and blinking over the steel door panels was hilarious to Wolf. In under five minutes, every criminal in the station had prepared for the attack from the gates.

But the assault came from their own ranks.

Neo-Androssians—who usually blended in so well with the scum that walked Sargasso's deck—were scattered through the crowd of misfits. One after the other, and then in large groups they turned their weapons on their peers—some firing, others merely holding them at gunpoint. And when everyone's attention was sufficiently distracted from the gates, the main force renewed their attack.

Nearly as one, the steel plates blew open, sending pieces of shrapnel all throughout the atrium. One piece even struck Ferrick in the eye, causing the poor minion to fall to the ground—and Wolf to wheeze with laughter. He needed something to take his mind off... recent events. And a piece of reinforced metal lodged in his second-in-command's face was just the thing to make him forget his own troubles.

As the fire and smoke disbursed from the gaping holes in the portals, the Neo-Androssians poured through in full-force. They broke upon the room like a wave crashing against the shore, rapidly overwhelming the unprepared and comparatively untrained guards. With deadly efficiency, they subdued the Syndicate soldiers and corralled third-party outlaws into powerless groups. With Sargasso's occupants either dead or disarmed, the mixture of simians and reptiles had taken the main floor.

Panther rushed onto the balcony with a squad of soldiers. After giving orders for the stairs to be barred and the elevator platform locked, he rushed to Wolf's side.

"Wolf, what are you doing?! we have to evacuate _now__! _The lower level is done for, including the hangars. Let's make for one of the secret exits while we still have the chance!"

But before the lupine could turn to leave, Leon coldly jammed a blaster into his side. "Afraid I can't let you do that, Wolf."

"Leon, w-what're you doing?!" Panther gasped, paw instinctively jumping to his own weapon.

While Panther accosted the reptile, Wolf merely stared into his friend's eyes. Leon's face contorted into that sick smile of his; it was the same grin he wore whenever his carefully laid plans came to fruition, or whenever his prey fell into an elaborate trap of his making. Leon knew he had Wolf cornered, and the chameleon's usually expressionless face betrayed himself with that smile. The look was so contagious that Wolf felt himself grinning as well.

"Leon, put that gun down this instant!" Panther ordered him.

Wolf sighed another tired breath of air. "Too late, Panther. Leon's won here. All men, drop your weapons."

The Syndicate soldiers exchanged frustrated glances before doing as Wolf said. An assortment of rifles and blasters clattered against the balcony floor, but Panther's remained in limbo—trapped between his paw and his holster.

"Wolf, you can't just give up! _Kill _the slimy bastard!"

But Wolf ignored the jungle cat, eyes still locked with Leon's. "So, I guess I should've seen this one coming, eh Leon? My one blind spot was my closest friends."

"The entire left half of your field of view was your blind spot," Leon deadpanned, "Which is why I approached you from that side."

"That's a low blow, Leon," Wolf playfully growled. "Now, what finally made you grow tired of me? What made you want to replace me as head of the Sargasso Syndicate? You could've done this in your youth when you were still young enough to enjoy the position—but you didn't. Out with it, Leon; what was my big mistake?"

"Oh I'm not replacing you, Wolf," Leon sneered. "And as for your fatal flaw... I'll let _him _tell you that."

The chameleon jerked his head over the balcony railing, beckoning for Wolf's attention. The canid followed the motion, gazing out over the central floor again—over the ranks of Androssians, over the piles of dead soldiers, and the seated prisoners with their arms crossed above their heads. Marching through the mouth of the gate were two figures: one, a small and rather unremarkable primate—if not for his resemblance to a very infamous emperor—and the other a fox. It was this vulpine that caused Wolf's muzzle to slide open and his tongue to freeze.

The lupine scrambled to process what he was seeing. The primate resembled Andross but _forget _him. The great hero Fox McCloud had walked into Sargasso Spaceport, and was currently wading through the filthy ranks of Lylat's worst scum to get to Wolf.

But it _couldn't _be him. Fox was dead—Wolf was there himself when it happened. While he was in the process of losing an arm and a leg, the vulpine had sacrificed himself to sweep a task of Cornerians into Venom's biting atmosphere. There was never anyone as dead as Fox McCloud.

Then this apparition before him; it was only a ghost, maybe a twin brother, or even McCloud's doppelganger. They say everybody has one, so couldn't this pup just be his double?

Then just like that, everything clicked in Wolf's head.

The vulpine on the floor was no more Fox than Wolf was General Pepper; it was just that sniveling little runt from before. But then again, it wasn't. He had changed. He had _become _Fox McCloud. He held himself higher, gave the illusion of standing taller, walked confidently, stared Wolf down with fiery eyes, and gave off the genuine aura of Lylat's Hero.

_That boy's done it,_ was all Wolf could think. _He's actually done it._

He barked over the open atrium, "Well now, _this _is an unexpected surprise. I never thought I'd live to see the day when both Fox _and _Andross came back from the dead to walk merrily hand-in-hand. Is this the end times or something? Armageddon? McCloud and a Bowman buddy-buddies, dogs and cats living together, my own teammate betraying me—"

At this point in his speech Leon kicked the back of Wolf's leg, causing him to fall to his knees. Instead, the lupine continued in a whisper only Leon could hear, "Everyone knew Pigma would be the traitor, which is why I got rid of him..."

Wolf was forced to wait while Andross' spawn and McCloud marched triumphantly through the spaceport. Within a few minutes, Leon had Wolf's men reactivate the elevator so the victorious pair could join them on the balcony. From his kneeling position on the floor, Wolf watched McCloud step off the platform, shivering as a flurry of memories burned past his mind's eye. The little imposter managed to bring it all back.

"Fox" planted his feet in front of Wolf, staring down at his captive from a clear position of power. Those piercing green eyes bore into Wolf's, gazing down at him from an almost upturned muzzle. The vision was painful, yet Wolf basked in it all the same. It was like old times again, enemy-to-enemy. Now if only he could fight him in one last dogfight...

It was hard to believe the Venomians would answer to their greatest enemy, but it was only the latest in a series of fantastic events—perhaps not even the most insane of them all. While Fox turned to address those standing or sitting on the floor below, Dash arrived at the railing and raised his fist. As one the Neo-Androssians stood at attention and returned the solute, causing their prisoners to flinch.

"My fellow outlaws," the vulpine began. "You should count yourselves lucky that you were present for this changing of the guard. Yes, I consider myself an outlaw like the rest of you. You may think I am Fox McCloud—the guardian savior of the Lylat. I am here to tell you that _that _Fox McCloud is dead. The one that stands before you now is a different Fox. I am no longer a hero or a patron saint that you have to choke and gag at the mere mention of his name. I have a soul as black as yours, and I have desires as conceited as yours. Like you, I want the simple things in life. Freedom. The ability to fly where I please. To do business with whomever I choose, in the manner I choose, with the materials I choose. I want the power to kill those who anger me and protect those closest to me. And perhaps above all, I want _revenge_."

Fox kicked Wolf in the side with his boot, causing the leader to grunt in pain. "Your leader Wolf O'Donnell has failed to deliver those things to you. In fact, he's let them slip away, out of your grasp. Under his faltering management, the Cornerian Empire has made Lylat's Underworld its plaything. It controls the shipping routes, it controls interplanetary space, and it dictates how you live your lives. Corneria has only grown stronger, its reach farther, and its metaphorical cage around you more concrete. Wolf enabled all of this. He's sold you out to the Cornerians. He's not merely pandering to them. He's _in bed _with them—Pepper's own personal fuck toy. Pepper has him dancing on the ends of strings, who in turn has every one of you tied up in the same bureaucracy you tried to escape from in Corneria. You're a Syndicate now, not the proud anarchists you used to be."

Fox leaned over the railing, reaching out to the criminals below. "Well today is where this irony ends. I have come to liberate you from Wolf _and _the Cornerians. There's a new boss in Sargasso, and I bet none of you guessed it would be Fox McCloud. I present you all with a choice—and we'll do this the good old mob way Wolf has grown too soft to remember. Option one: you swear your allegiance to me, and together we cast the Cornerians down from interspace like the demons from heaven. Or two: I have these lovely Venomians execute you. Now is that really a choice? Hell no, but it's the way things used to be. Now... what do you say?"

For several seconds, there was silence on Sargasso's deck. The criminals looked around in fear and confusion, glancing between a triumphant Fox and a powerless Wolf. Eventually, a particularly dirty-looking smuggler rose to his feet, pointing at Wolf.

"You know what, mates?" he shouted in a raspy voice. "I think the old wolf's gone soft on the Cornerians. He's getting too old and soft!"

_Oh you don't know the half of it, _Wolf thought.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't want a leader like that pussy representing me to no Cornerians! Where are the good days when Corneria actually feared us? Not when Wolf let them walk all over us like this. And it may be hard to comper-hend how a Cornerian dog like McCloud is saying the words our Wolf O'Donnell _should _be saying, but here it is none-the-less. I say we join 'im!"

Just as the smuggler had risen to his feet, another outlaw jumped up. "Agreed! Down with Wolf! We don't want no Cornerian dogs seated on that chair!"

More and more criminals rose to take up Fox's offer, all shouting bits of support until the whole room was filled with deafening exclamations.

"Out with the Cornerian dog!"

"Kill that traitorous son of a bitch!"

"Yeah, toss him out the airlock!"

"It's time to go to war with those dogs!"

"Leeeroooooy Jeeenk—"

"Make Sargasso great again!"

"Do you really need any more proof Elarix is Alt—"

Smiling in satisfaction, Fox turned back to Wolf. "It sounds like they're calling for your death, Wolf." From a holster on his hip, Fox drew a blaster and jammed the muzzle against Wolf's forehead. The lupine grimaced when the gun cocked; he could feel the click resonate through his skull.

"Any last words, Wolf?"

Wolf nervously glanced between Fox, Bowman, and Leon. While he had thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of the takeover, things looked increasingly bad from his perspective on the balcony floor. He wanted to discretely slip to Fox that he knew who he really was, but one verbal misstep would end in a burning tunnel through his brains. In less than half an hour, he had witnessed the destruction of an empire he spent years building up. All of the brilliant aspects of the Syndicate would be lost; the ways he played the Cornerians, handled unruly mercenaries, smugglers, pirates, and assassins, and worked out private disputes between warring clans. The system he perfected was beautiful: ordered chaos and systematic anarchy. And now all of that was crumbling before him. In a few seconds, the vulpine would pull the trigger, and Wolf would finally learn if there was actually anything on the other side. But... he wasn't quite ready for that.

"Well Fox," he said in a raspy voice. "Looks like I've been outplayed. I was hoping whichever one of us died first would go out in style. A fight to the death would have been preferable, not kneeling before you like some dog." While he talked, Wolf inched his left hand towards his right arm—the bionic one. "But I know when I've lost, pup. You may have taken my precious empire away from me... but you've failed to take me."

"I don't think you understand your position, Wolf. Why don't you describe what the inside of a blaster looks like from down there—"

Wolf jammed his finger into a button on his prosthetic arm. The effects weren't immediately apparent, but eventually Androssians and outlaws alike began to lose their balance—some even floating free of the ground. Sargasso's floor erupted in mass confusion, which Wolf quickly took advantage of.

"Hasta la vista, Fox," the lupine chuckled. Before Fox could realize what was going on, Wolf swatted the blaster away and kicked off the ground with his feet. It was obvious Fox didn't expect him to travel far, but the canid never landed from his jump. Instead, he floated all the way to the ceiling and slipped inside a hidden door there.

As he crawled into the dark and foul-smelling passage, he heard Leon yell, "He's deactivated the station's artificial gravity! After him!" But as soon as Bowman's accompanying squad leapt into the air to pursue him, Wolf pressed the button again, causing the troops to slam back into the ground. His deep-throated laughter was all he left them with before crawling through the tight passage space.

It would be some time before his pursuers caught up to him. Wolf had designed this particular passage for just such an occasion. To catch him, they'd either need a ladder or grappling hook, or detailed blueprints of the station to blast their way into the passage. It was the perfect escape only _he _could pull off.

After spending some time crawling through the windy tunnel, Wolf finally emerged into a private hangar. The hangar exit was wedged between a pair of garbage chutes near the top of the space station, and as such only a small portion of the stars were visible through the atmospheric field. The hangar was just large enough to hold one ship, and Wolf's prized possession: his wolfen.

After spilling out the tunnel, Wolf stood up and surveyed the vessel with nostalgia. He remembered so many lost times spent with the craft, either from the cockpit shooting down Cornerians and other enemies, or on the outside making repairs after a run-in with Fox McCloud. The sleek, pointed ship truly was a sight for sore eyes.

Limping over to the red and gray wolfen, Wolf affectionately ran his paw down the smooth nose. Arriving at the cockpit, Wolf climbed aboard with some difficulty and popped the green canopy open. But instead of loading the interior up with supplies, he did the opposite.

It all had to go.

Extra weapons, money, cargo, food, mementos, fancy equipment; he hurled all of these from the cockpit and storage compartments haphazardly on the hangar deck below. He didn't want anything weighing him down—not when he already carried so much with him. He needed to feel _light. _He had to start all over again.

But before Wolf had completely emptied the ship, he head another click echo through the hangar. His left ear twitched, but he kept right on emptying his ship of excess baggage.

"Did you uncock your blaster just so you could make it click again?" Wolf snorted.

"Hey, don't judge. At least I know how to make an entrance."

Fox's voice again—it surely sounded like it. Glancing in the reflection of the canopy, Wolf saw several images of the vulpine transformed at various angles in the green glass.

"So... how did you find me here? This is a secret hangar, you know."

The multiple reflections of Fox shrugged in unison. "Eh, Leon told me about your hidden passages. You have more than one leading to this hangar, and now I see why it's so valuable to you."

"Leon wasn't supposed to know."

"Wolf, _please_, of course Leon knew."

Wolf paused to contemplate the scaled assassin before continuing to unload his ship. "That slimy bastard," he said as he returned to work.

"Wolf... step away from your ship."

"Can't do that for you, Fox. I'm flying this old girl out of here. See that purdy orange ion storm out there? I'm gonna fly into that like a cowboy riding into a sunset, and you'll never hear from me again. At least not under the alias "Wolf O'Donnell." I'll choose a new one. You know, you taking over the Sargasso Syndicate is a blessing in disguise."

"You know why I did this, Wolf." Fox stepped closer to the wolfen, boots clopping against the sturdy deck.

"Oh I know why you did this," Wolf chuckled. "This old man here was too slow for ya—too docile. You want to end Corneria's reign, and you rightly saw that _I_ wasn't going to be any help. So, you took my job. I know it's nothing personal; you just had to stage that act out there to gain the loyalty and confidence of the outlaws. Saints alive, I never thought it would work like that. I never thought a runt like you could _ever _become Fox McCloud. But... _everything _about you matches him. You've got him down to a T, kid. That's right, I know who you are. But the reason I didn't say anything out there is because I didn't want to screw things up for ya. You want to take over the Syndicate? Be my guest. You want to become Fox and lead the Lylat against the Cornerians? More power to ya. In fact, if there's anything else I can do, just let me know. I've got some exquisite liquor in a safe hidden behind a painting in my office. It's a nude picture of this busty wolfess I used to keep company with—you'd either have to be gay or Leon to miss it. Unless Leon's already found it like he did this passage... anyway, the combination's written on a scrap of paper in the bottom left drawer of my desk. Why don't you treat yourself to—"

"Wolf Wolf Wolf," Fox sighed, shaking his head at the retreating lupine. "Is none of this ringing a bell? Weren't our positions reversed a couple months ago? You've got it all wrong. This _is _personal."

Wolf finally stopped for good. He stared into his near-empty cockpit for a second, gears turning and locking into place in his head. "Oh. _Krystal." _He turned and slid down the side of his Wolfen, landing on the floor and facing his adversary. "How's that girl doing?"

"If I'm honest, Wolf, she's doing better than she ever has before... no thanks to you. I understand the butterfly effect and all that, and neither of us could have predicted this would ultimately turn out for her good, but you really made the wrong choice this time, Wolf. You nearly killed her. No, reality was even worse than that. You robbed her of her hands, you forced us into hiding, and you sent her into a nightmarish coma she never would've escaped from. Not if Fox McCloud hadn't found his way back into her life. It's a miracle she turned out this way. No thanks to any good or selfless act you did, Wolf."

Sargasso's former leader stared down at his bionic wrist, which he opened and closed for a few seconds.

"Tell me, "Fox," have you gotten Krystal prosthetics yet? Have you replaced her hands?"

"No," Fox hesitantly answered. "But Dash promised to get the very best for her if I joined him. It's only a matter of time before she has hands again."

Wolf shook his head solemnly. "Don't do it, pup. It would be a mistake. She's better off without them."

"Why?!" Fox demanded, brow narrowing. "Because she'll just cause more harm? You really believe that, along with everyone else?"

"No: they're too damn heavy. They'll just... weigh her down for the rest of her life."

Fox raised the gun slightly hire, challenging Wolf. "Then I'll be there to help carry them."

_Sheila..._

Wolf closed his eyes and bit his tongue, trying to distract himself with physical pain. When he opened them again, his right eye was watering. "You know pup, I don't want to die this way. As I said, I was hoping one of us would go out in style. Even if it was me who bit the dust first. Dying to a one-man firing squad isn't my idea of a good send-out. Have you gotten good with that arwing, kid? I'd love to face you in one last dogfight. The Cornerians robbed my chance of killing Fox myself, but—and take this as a compliment—I'd be satisfied with killing you. And if you're still a little shaky, just know that I haven't flown one of these things in—"

"No, Wolf. We aren't going to duel. I'm going to kill you here and now. And I'm going to have fun doing it."

The vulpine's words bit hard on Wolf, crushing his death wishes. Disappointed, he mumbled, "Then at least let me get rid of this weight."

Fox eyed him distrustfully as the lupine shed his prosthetics. After removing a few safeguards, Wolf let the bionic arm and leg clatter to the ground. He was left standing before Fox on one leg, his left and only arm supporting him on the ship.

"Ahhh," Star Wolf's leader sighed. "I feel... I feel lighter already. It's... it's better than drugs, kid. But I still got one more thing to..."

As Fox frowned, he reached for his cybernetic eye and popped it out of its socket. He tossed the sphere over his shoulder, then studied his rival through his remaining eye. He opened his hand to Fox. "I will admit it's difficult living without these. But the freedom is worth it. Tell Krystal... tell her she's lucky to have someone there to share that weight."

"You know Wolf? I have a feeling I'll look back on your death for years to come and never understand you. Or I might just forget you completely."

Wolf grinned a toothy smile. "Alright, just shoot me already. I'll pay for my crimes against you and Krystal. God knows I'm getting off scot-free in comparison to—"

But Fox pulled the trigger, cutting him short. And for an instant, Wolf felt light again.

* * *

**-BEGINNING TRANSMISSION-**

* * *

Slippy Toad sat at a table in the mess hall of a large ship. It was an Aquan battleship—not a space-faring craft as usual in Lylat's current day and age, but a sea-faring vessel made for the vast seas covering Aquas. Slippy, along with a thousand other amphibians of different species, had been assigned to the RAN_ Amberjack _as part of the Royal Aquan Navy. Though the Cornerians labeled them mere rebels, they represented the former ruling powers in Aquas that had governed the united planet for generations. Until the Cornerians occupied the planet during the Lylat Wars, that is.

He picked at his rations with a fork, unable to eat due to his upset stomach. A naval battle loomed over the _Amberjack; _an engagement with the Cornerian fleet before the next day was immanent. After leaving the Hunting Party, Slippy had joined the Aquan Navy to help them rid the planet of Cornerians. But now it looked like they were losing the fight. The planet's coalition of united island nations couldn't stand against the might of Corneria.

Slippy's mate of only a few weeks sat down next to him. Amanda: a pink-skinned frog and fellow resistance soldier, who had somehow taken a liking to Slippy's quiet ways. The amphibian told himself she only liked him because he was so foreign to Aquas, even if he traced his ancestors back to the planet. While he picked up a lot of habits and knowledge from the rest of the Lylat, he was deluding himself if he thought that was the only reason Amanda loved him.

His mate frowned when she noticed his full plate of rations, then clucked her lips. "Slippy, you've got to eat something. You can't repair the ship on an empty stomach; it'll distract you from your work."

"I'm sorry Amanda," Slippy moaned, "I'm just too jittery to take a bite. You know I can't eat while I'm nervous."

"Then why don't you get your mind of tomorrow," Amanda suggested. "Why don't you watch some TV, and I'll just feed you?"

"Thanks anyway," Slippy mumbled. He weakly gestured at the large display on the back wall of the mess hall. "They're just showing big Cornerian networks right now. If anything will kill my appetite, it's Cornerian media—"

But as Slippy watched the TV screen, the feed abruptly cut to black. The leathery, domed heads of amphibian soldiers raised all throughout the mess hall, wondering what was going on. After a few seconds of complete blackness, a bright test pattern filled the screen, eventually cutting to an entirely different feed.

"Hello... what is going on?" Slippy murmured.

The new feed showed a curved, black wall inlaid with polished steel and chrome containers—but only the feet of each were visible. Red LED displays on the bottoms of the cylinders all displayed the same word: DECEASED.

Slippy's eyes lit up. "Wait a minute... I... I know this place."

Amanda furrowed her brow, staring intently at the screen. "It looks like some kind of a morgue."

"It is!" Slippy confirmed. "It matches the pictures I've seen of one on Fichina. My old team raided one a while back."

"The name on the coffin says "McCloud." Not _the _Fox McCloud?" Amanda mused in a high-pitched voice.

"Why are they showing us a feed of—"

The red DECEASED status indicator blinked a few times... before turning to a green ALIVE. As everyone in the hall gasped, the cryogenic chamber ejected from the wall and rested on its feet against the floor. Blueish-green fluid swirled inside the glass coffin, floating in which was a very familiar vulpine.

The cryotube opened, spilling preservation liquid all over the floor. The fox stepped out, wrenching his wrists free from the tangles of wires inserted in them. Chest rising and falling, he opened his eyes and stared directly into the feed.

_"__It's been a long time... Lylat."_

* * *

"This... this can't be real!"

"The kid's done it. He's really done it."

Falco and Katt sat on the cold floor of a frigate, huddling with clumps of Zonessian refugees. The space frigate was one of many still circling around the polluted planet. Outside the plexiglass windows, a host of other cargo ships swam above the poisoned surface of the green monstrosity, carrying between them millions of similar survivors. But right now every eye in the cargo hold was glued to the holographic screen in front of the window.

"You told me he was dead!" Katt elbowed her avian companion, still captivated by the sight before her.

"He... he was. I saw him."

"Then it's an imposter? A trick of Corneria's?"

Falco slowly shook his head. "...No. He's real."

_"__It's been a long time... Lylat,"_ Fox said._ "__Too long have you gone without a hero to fight your wars. __Too long have I been away from you. I stayed long enough to become your savior, and then I just left. I may have saved you from one evil emperor, but I failed to protect you from another. __Myself, my team, my Cornerian friends... we've all failed you. __Some of you out in the Lylat may be aware of who I am. Those deep in Corneria's bureaucratic shroud may not be so __privileged.__ After my mercenary team Star Fox lead the System to victory against Andross, __Corneria stabbed me in the back—just like so many other planet __nations__ out here. __Rather than face them, I ran. I went into hiding, allowing my enemies to erase my memory from the public eye. __I failed my team; I let it decay and fall apart and spiral down a dark cave. I failed the Lylat. I failed you..."_

* * *

Peppy wiped the tears from his eyes at the sight of Fox's rebirth. It was so real he could almost believe it himself, yet circumstances might keep them separated for years to come. At least he had done his part.

After running from Syndicate soldiers on Katina, the elderly hare was picked up by Neo-Androssians and flown to Aquas. From there he promised Fox to watch over Krystal while he was away. And if Fox never came back... he was to stay and comfort her till his last breath.

Tearing himself away from the cabin's TV, Peppy padded down the hall in his rabbit slippers and cracked the door to Krystal's bedroom. The cerulean vixen lay peacefully sleeping, blissfully unaware of the current event shaking the entire Lylat System. It was good that she wasn't there to view the transmission; considering recent developments, it would only confuse and upset her. It might even bring back all the wrong memories.

Satisfied that Krystal was alright, Peppy carefully shut the door and returned to the living room. He eased himself down onto the couch in time to catch the rest of the broadcast.

_"__I failed you... __but now I've come back. __I'm not content with selfishly hiding while Corneri__a__ rules the Lylat. __I want to make everything right; to set the world back to how it used to be... and to bring justice down on Corneria. __I am no longer the same Fox McCloud who saved the Lylat years ago. I'm not in this for the money. I'm not in this to avenge my father. I'm here to avenge _you_. I've gone through so many transformations; I've grown and changed in my own ways. With an old mentor's help, I've managed to become a hero again and save my loved one. She rests peacefully now... but I won't rest until I've saved everyone else, too."_

* * *

"Well what do you know..."

From a private hospital bed, Scarlet watched the display on a TV mounted in the corner of the room. The crimson fox was covered in sheets and a hospital gown, her recovery lasting much longer than anticipated—though no recovery was even expected to begin with. The vulpine at her side, a maroon-furred fox with wire-framed glasses, had done everything mortally possible to bring her back to life. Scarlet didn't believe it herself. Felix never let her see the photos of the shape she was in when he recovered her, but it was harrowing enough knowing she was in more than one piece. Underneath the wispy gown, bionic segments held her real flesh together. The specialists had yet to outfit the prosthetics with realistic skin and fur, but at least her crimson coat had naturally grown back in everywhere else. She would never make it into the centerfold of _Merc's Mag _again, but that didn't matter when she had Felix at her side.

"So he saved Krystal after all," she shook her head, smiling knowingly. "What a smooth operator. And I didn't even have to lend him my copy of _Blue Passion_."

Felix raised an eyebrow. "That one about dating Cerinians?"

Scarlet nodded. "Precisely."

"There you go playing matchmaker again. When are you ever going to find someone of your own to settle down with and have a—"

But Scarlet placed a bionic finger against Felix's muzzle, silencing him. "I already have. Now _hushhh! _It's just getting interesting."

Felix's jaw dropped open when he realized the full implications of her words, but Scarlet had already turned her attention back to the compact TV.

_"__Yes, I've made countless mistakes of my own. __I'm hardly the perfect accuser worthy of confronting Corneria on her sins. __I abandoned you in your hour of need. I ran like a coward, and I've stabbed friends in the back. __I'm far from righteous... but I don't have to be. I'm done being Corneria's toy soldier—their __angelic mascot, perfect in every way. __Corneria fights dirty. It's time to fight back in kind."_

* * *

Lylat's sun beat down on the bustling streets of Neekarra: Titania's capitol. Towering skyscrapers clashed with smaller huts and buildings cut from white sandstone. The diverse spread of citizens swarmed about the square, dressed in all manner of desert garbs peculiar to Titania and Titania only. While most continued about their business, bartering with merchants and pinching ripened fruit, one cloaked figure gazed up at the massive display.

Underneath a fraying brown hood, an onyx-furred feline watched the TV feed with curious golden eyes. Black Mamba's tail swished back and forth, disturbing the edges of her desert cloak. She recognized the figure speaking on the screen, though he had changed so much since the last time she saw him.

_"__If there's one thing I want you, the individual to know, it's this: you're not alone. __Separated, Lylat is a collection of weak planets struggling to fight off Cornerian control. But together, we _are _the Lylat. We _are _strong. __Each planet is suffering under tyranny; each person has his or her own tribulations to persevere through. __Whether you're an expatriate banished to Katina or Venom years ago, or an Aquan citizen fighting for the sovereignty of his planet, or a refugee from Zoness just looking for a home, we _all _are Lylatians, and we need to look out for each other. I'll repeat this again: You. Are. _Not_. Alone."_

"Mamba?"

The feline tore her eyes off the screen, glancing at the paw planted on her shoulder. It belonged to a young wildcat no larger than her, dressed in matching desert garb.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She nodded, secretly fond of the caring hand still gripping her shoulder.

"Then come on; the munitions train leaves at 2:00. The rest of the team's waiting."

The panther hesitantly looked back up at the screen for a second before accepting the wildcat's hand and allowing him to lead her into the crowd.

* * *

"NO!"

General Pepper brought his fist down on his desk, scattering leaflets of papers in all directions. "Get that fox off the air, _now!_ Cut it! Cut the feed!"

"We're trying, sir!" an aid reported, but failed to placate the furious hound dog.

"Get out! And don't come back till you've got _The_ _Morning Show _back on the air!"

"Sorry s-s-sir! Yes sir!" The aid disappeared behind Pepper's office door, painfully closing it behind him.

Pepper remained seated in his plush chair, watching in anguish as a ghost continued to threaten his empire. He held his head with his paws, grimacing as he watched the holographic feed on his cluttered desk. Outside his office window, air traffic continued as usual to move across the blue sky and silver cityscape of Corneria City, but it was all an illusion. He could feel it in his bones, beneath his skin; it was all going down the drain—everything he had worked for.

"I had that sonuvabitch killed _years _ago," Pepper seethed to no one. "I saw his lifeless body myself. I ordered it preserved on Fichina as a testament to opponents. And now he's just... _back? _You don't just come back to life like that. He's a fake. He's a double. I'll have every media outlet in Corneria churning out exposé articles, exposing this phantom for who he really is. This..." He waved his hands through the holographic display. "This means nothing! This changes... _nothing!_"

But the half-naked vulpine on the screen continued to personally assault him with words.

_"__You. Are. _Not_. Alone," _Fox was saying. _"We will unite against our common foe and vanquish him from the solar system that is Lylat. __We will join forces, amass an army, and strike Corneria from every angle. And by Corneria, I mean Pepper. General Pepper, who grew mad with power just like Andross. I say to you, the two emperors are no different—in their ambitions or their crimes. __After Pepper and I lead Corneria and her allies to victory in the Lylat Wars, the two of us diverged in our ways of thinking. I wanted nothing in return for my duties; no special place among Corneria's forces. But Pepper wanted more. He wanted to be Chancellor. He wanted something in return for liberating the planets under Andross' control. Aquas, Titania, Macbeth—the story is the same for all. He occupied them during the Lylat Wars, and his troops have yet to leave. __And when he squeezed the Lylat dry of everything it could give him, he returned to Andross' mangled corpse for even more. I had a hand in it. It was why we had a falling out—Pepper tried to kill me, and I went into hiding."_

The red-clad general brought his fist pounding down on the desk again. "NO! Cut it off, cut it off, cut it ooofffff!"

_"__Under Pepper's orders, the Cornerian military scoured Venom for Andross' research and weapons. __Secretly, they brought back uncountable plans and tools of torment and destruction, all under the guise of peace. But Pepper wanted to use these instruments for their intended purpose: war. See, when I tell you Pepper and Andross are the same, I do not exaggerate. __The General personally ordered my team to recover a new species of bioweapons from Venom—one Andross had yet to complete and release upon the struggling planets of the Lylat. __When we learned of the weapon's function, we rebelled against Pepper, and the dog ordered us killed."_

As images of the research station on Venom, as well as diagrams of the aquatic bioweapons flashed up on screen, Pepper could only stew and rub his eyes, shaking his head forlornly. "He can't prove any of that," he told himself. "They'll never believe him!"

_"__Though the intended destination of these weapons was Aquas, let me emphasize that _all _planets_ _of the Lylat System are engaged in private wars against Corneria. __But if we unite our causes, I guarantee you, we will win against oppression. __Once the Lylat becomes One, we will strike you, Pepper, from every angle. __We have space pirates, mercenaries, smugglers, assassins, bounty-hunters, blockade runners—all manner of outlaws_ you_ created fighting on our side. __Under the reformed command of Dash Bowman, the Neo-Androssians will rise again and take up the cause you dropped in the dirt and soil. __Millions of refugees from Zoness have been displaced from their homes, and they know the one person denying them a safe haven. __Aquan freedom fighters this very minute are engaging your invasive occupation forces. Titanian and Macbethan rebels are fighting your greedy hands on their planets. __And from within your own forces, within your own bastion of false purity and nationalism, Cornerians are already beginning to see the truth—you for what you really are, General. __We will unite, and we will come for you, Pepper."_

Smiling confidently, Fox concluded, _"I now declare the start of the Second Lylat War."_

And with that, the vulpine walked off screen, leaving Pepper with the image of the empty coffin.

More and more rage began to swallow the hound. He gripped the edges of his desk, knuckles turning white and claws piercing into the polished wood.

"No," he growled through clenched teeth. In a fit of rage, he swept all the papers and tablets from his desk. "No!" The canine leapt up from his chair, kicking it over and throwing objects left and right. Statuettes, staplers, tablets, books: object after object he picked up and hurled at the walls. One bronze statuette of his grandfather he pitched at the glass wall behind him, causing cracks to appear in the crystalline panel.

"No-no-no-no-no-no-NOOOOO!" Pepper gargled, spittle flying from his lips. By now he was breathing heavily, chest heaving from exertion. He stumbled back over to his desk, but at that moment a sharp pain stabbed through his chest. The elderly hound fell to his knees, grabbing onto his desk for support. He coughed and spluttered, gasping for air that wouldn't come. The veins underneath his fur rose from his skin, and the sharp pain in his chest grew stronger.

_No, _he thought, staring at the marble floor, which was quickly disappearing from his blurred vision. _You won't win this, Fox. You... won't... win._

* * *

_**Five Years Later**_

* * *

"Can I get your last name, sir?"

"What?"

In the reflection of the man's sunglasses, the young wolfess could see the towering Ferris wheels and roller coasters and pendulum rides marking the fair grounds. Being a ticket vendor was a boring part-time job, especially when so many things were going on just behind her back. She envied the long line of couples and families waiting to grab their tickets and enter the annual Cornerian festival. With the end of the war two years ago, the citizens needed something to get their minds off the widespread destruction, and an outing at the fair was just the thing.

"I need your last name too, sir." _Geez this guy is taking a long time. He's definitely out of it._

The fox's head tilted down to the purchasing tablet, and while the wolfess couldn't see his eyes behind the pair of sunglasses, she knew where he was looking at. On the tablet was a series of information boxes, one of which remained empty. While the gentlemen had filled out 'Phoenix' for his first name, he left the surname box blank. The wolfess tapped the screen impatiently.

"Can you finish this, please?"

_Phoenix... __what an odd name. __Or was it even his name? _As she watched, the vulpine stared blankly at the screen, struggling over the next step, as simple as it was. Instead of filling out his surname, he hit the backspace button and erased his first. He hovered a digit over the 'F' key, but paused to debate some more.

The wolfess blew a strand of blond hair from her face, looking up at the vulpine's companion. The vixen was a strange one; she must've dyed her entire pelt blue, for such a beautiful sapphire coat was unnatural for any species of the Lylat. At least she made it work for her. Even with her back turned on the ticket booth, the wolfess knew she was a looker. She stood facing the long line of fair-goers, perhaps scanning the bright blue horizon, populated with cotton-candy clouds and sparkling ships in the distance. Her arms were folded behind her back, but the lupine couldn't see her paws beneath her long sleeves.

"Nevermind," the man said, waving his hand at the blank tablet. "Just... just forget it. It doesn't matter anymore."

"Sir?"

But the fox ignored her, instead touching his girlfriend's shoulder. "Come on, Krys. Let's leave."

"Aww," the vixen whined in disappointment, "I was so looking forward to that new rollercoaster! The one with the 400-foot drop?"

"Yeah yeah. Look, we'll come back tomorrow. I'm... feeling kinda tired right now."

"Oh, I understand," she answered warmly.

The wolf stared after the couple, not fully comprehending what had just transpired. She watched them go, marveling at the way the woman tenderly rested her head against her mate's shoulder.

They disappeared into the crowd, holding hands.

* * *

**BE YOURSELF**

**THE END**

* * *

**Afterword:**

_It's done!_

_ Yes Mr. Frodo; it's over now!_

_I guess everyone noticed the delay before I released __these__ final __two __chapter__s__. That was due to a lot of things. After I finished last semester, I came back and pounded out __five chapters in quick succession. __I got a bit tired of writing and wanted to take it easy doing something else, so I worked on some unrelated projects instead. Then I got a new part time job where everyone was really busy and didn't have the time to teach me shit, and I had trouble catching on. After I achieved inner peace __with__ said job, I decided to pick up __these__ chapter__s__ again, which I had to be really relaxed while writing, or __they__ wouldn't come out right. S__o__ I wrote in private on my back porch at night, but then this black snake kept crawling up there and I had to swat it away repeatedly, __and__ naturally I didn't feel at ease writing at my usual spot. __I'm told by some it's harmless... Anyw__ay__, then I decided on adding several more sections to this chapter to tie up some loose ends, such as Corneria. That padded the chapter out some more. Originally, it was just going to end with Fox and Krystal retiring from mercenary life on Aquas, __a la last chapter__. But who would be satisfied with that when there's an evil empire controlling the Lylat System, amiright?_

_I'm just glad I got this story wrapped up on the last day of summer vacation. Yes you heard that right; Elarix goes back to school tomorrow. What a close shave. JK I don't shave._

_Now __I think the most efficient way to wrap up lingering questions I anticipate __is to write __a..._

**_FAQ:_**

** _Q: __Elarix m8, whut was the point of this 'ole story?_**

_ Well that's a good question right __t__here. _The Hunting Party_ was a writing experiment on you guinea pigs. I wanted to see how far readers would go __to...__ well,_ read._ And judging by the __traffic graph, most of 'em will__ go pretty damn far. If you look at it this way, _Hunting Party_ was me trying to piss off as many readers as possible by the end, and still have a decent story. __Just t__hink about it __for a sec__. I kill Fox in the beginning. I completely flip Krystal's personality. I make the reader wait the entire length of the story for any substantial amount of fluff or pay-off __between the main characters__. I take Razor__blade__88's character submission and turn him into a parody. I kill off KS Reynard's favorite OC. I make Sheppard write four chapters with me, and make __him__ kill off _three _his own characters. __In an unexpected twist, I _don't _murder__ Nail Strafer's __OCs__. The __seventh__ chapter was a gag chapter where I kill off the cast of _The Hunting Party_. In one chapter I repeat the word "shit" ten thousand times. In __another__ chapter I crash your browser with only four words. __Yet through all this, you readers have stuck through till the end. In all honesty, I hope these last two chapters made it worth it, __or maybe you enjoyed something sadistic about the previous torturous chapters. Maybe you like the pain..._

_Alright, so the intention of this story was never to piss you all off. I know I put you through a lot, and I'm thankful you persevered to the ending. _

**_Q: Then... what was the _real_ point of the story?_**

_I started _The Hunting Party _after watching the anime _Black Lagoon. _The show's a lot of fun even with an extremely dark tone, but the ending wasn't satisfactory. In fact, you couldn't even call it an ending at all. The characters never have any meaningful exchanges, and they never change for good or for worse. So I went ahead and based a story off _Black Lagoon _to suggest my own ending, in a way. _Hunting Party _essentially started out as a parody of _Black Lagoon, _where I literally modeled the new Star Fox team after the four Lagoon Company members. I actually rewatched the show recently to rekindle my inspiration for this story, and it worked. Needless to say, if you liked _Hunting Party, _you'll enjoy _Black Lagoon. _At the very least I suggest you watch a review of it._

_ ...Hey, Sheppard stuffs his music down your throat, I force feed you anime. It's what I do. I also wanted to mess around with formatting, a la William Faulkner's _Sound and the Fury.

** _Q: Will there be a sequel?_**

_A: No. I toyed with the __idea__. __I considered ending this story with Fox declaring war on Corneria, and then the sequel would be about said war, but... I have other projects planned, and I really want to get to them. Also, if I made the sequel about the Second Lylat War, it would stray too far from the original _Black Lagoon _premise, which was following a criminal Star Fox team on a variety of episodic adventures. __An actual war is much too formal and orderly, and I don't have any inspiration to drive it._

**_Q: Will you ever revisit _The Hunting Party_?_**

_A: There's a possibility. I don't plan on rewriting it, even though it could stand a rewrite or some touching up. __O__ver the course of _Hunting Party_ alone_, _I've been told my writing has improved. And looking back at the beginning chapters, those were pretty shit. __But i__f I_ did_ revisit _Hunting Party, _it would be in the shape of a bonus arc revolving around __Star Wolf just after Wolf got his prosthetic limbs. They'd have an adventure on Fortuna, or something. Again, it's unlikely. I rather move on._

**_Q: So __w__hat's next?_**

_A: __I'm really not sure. I have a heavy course load this semester, so I might not have enough time to write. Maybe I'm due for a break from writing, after completing a story like this. __I still plan on turning out new _Misadventures _episodes every now and then, but I might not start a full-scale story for some time._ _At the moment, I have a really large space opera planned, but before I jump into that I want to try my hand at a smaller story. I think it'll involve Miyu and Fay on the small moon "Bayoon," which appeared last chapter. It's Vexed's locale, but I don't think he'll mind me using it. Still, no promises. __A lot of planning has to go into these stories before I can start, __and I may never get my act together. Only time will tell._

**_Q: What's with __chapter 21__ (__War, or __"I'm the shit")?_**

_A: It's about time I explained that. Everyone goes through trying times, and that was my method of catharsis/self expression. I've been a Christian for nearly twenty years, but just last winter I... quit? You could call me an agnostic now, and this may come as a surprise to some of my friends here. It was a really difficult choice for me, something I constantly look back on. "I'm the shit" was my way of expressing that change without telling my family. It really just boils down to venting my existential crisis. No, I never intended for it to piss off readers. I knew it would, but I went ahead with it anyway. I just had to get it out._

**_Q: What's Phoenix's last name?_**

_A: Dipshit. His full name is Phoenix Dipshit._

* * *

_There you have it, folks. Thanks for taking the time to read _The Hunting Party, _and thank you to anyone who followed, favorited, reviewed, or just happened to miss-click on the title when you were aiming for _Summer of Fun, _you dirty perverts. __I'd appreciate if you all left one final big, fat, juicy review to give your thoughts on the story as a whole, including this chapter. And if you haven't reviewed last chapter, I encourage you to go do that as well __(Lowly author trying to reach 100 reviews here!)_

_Have a great one,_

_ -Elarix_


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